This Feeling's Like No Other
by dazzledlight
Summary: HighSchoolMusical and Troy crossover. Troy Bolton has a twin sister, Briseis Bolton. All events in Troy happened except Achilles didnt die instead Briseis did. Once present and past meet, who knows what will happen
1. Prologue

Prologue:

It was a New Year's Eve and the snow was slowly but beautifully falling. The story starts in the Ritz Hotel all the way in Switzerland, Europe. The lights were lit up brightly and in a colorful fashion, some people, mostly teenagers, were seen snowboarding and sledding outside the hotel. Meanwhile, inside the grand hotel, the New Years' party had just begun. Teenagers and a few kids were all dressed up and dancing to the groove of the music. Everyone, it seemed, were enjoying the evening seeing all was so active and there was such much chatter all around the room.

But while most of the teenagers in the hotel were partying their heart out, only one seemed to not be there. Or two. In the most comforting room of the hotel, where a warm fireplace was built to heat up the guests and plushy couches and mini coffee bars were stationed in that room. Only a few people were there, since the rest were all upstairs at the party. A girl, only at her sweet sixteen, was comfortingly sitting on the huge couches in her warm and cozy winter outfit, completely immersed in a book. Her mother, dressed in a lavishly crimson red dress, spotted her daughter immediately and went up to approach with a stern look on her face, as if ready to reprimand the lone girl cozily sitting on the couch with a book.

"Gabby, its New Years' Eve. Enough reading." Her mother told her daughter, Gabriella while grabbing the book away from her daughter.

Gabriella instantly protested, trying to get her book back from the clutches of her mom. "But mama I'm almost done, I –"But even before she could finish explanation, her mother cut her off with one look.

"Nope. The teen party? I laid out your best clothes for you. Come and get ready." And though softly spoken, it was still a command and was meant to be obeyed.

"Can I have my book back?" Gabriella asked, resigned. She had no choice but go to the party.

Her mother considered her daughter. She gave her daughter a look and gently gave back the book to her daughter.

"Thank you." Gabriella said softly, with utmost gratitude. She got up and went to follow her mother.

"Come on." And so the night begins.

Meanwhile, another mother in a green velvet dress and red hair walking in the lodge was also looking for her son. Or rather, both father AND son. She stopped at the small indoor basketball court and knew she had found what she was looking for. She could see her husband and son clearly into their playing of basketball.

"Keep working left, Troy." She could her husband coach her son, passing the ball to him. "Gotta get ready for the Championship game we're expecting. Gotta torture them, Troy!"

Her son, Troy Bolton, was in his blue basketball outfit, sweating so much but still into playing the game. "Am I going left?" Troy asked his father/coach, still quite alert and his head in the game.

"Yeah, you go the middle, you take it downtown!" His dad replied as alert as his son.

"Ok like this?" And Troy dodged his father and shoots his basketball ball in the hoop.

"Hoo! That's it man! Sweet!" His father exclaimed catching the ball in approval of his son. "I wanna see that in the game!" And father and son drowned themselves in talks of basketball and the championship game.

"Boys!" Troy's mother exclaimed at her spot. She started approaching the two. "Did we really fly all this way to play more basketball?"

Troy and his dad looked at each other briefly in understanding.

"Yeah." They said together, as if it was the most obvious answer.

"It's the last night of vacation." Troy's mother countered, twirling herself, showing them how good she looked that night. "The party, remember?" Particularly asking her husband holding the ball.

"Right. The party." Her husband replied in a tone that he completely forgot all about it. "The party, New Years' Eve."

Seeing that got her husband, she turned to her son. "Troy, they have a kid's party downstairs in the Freestyle Club. Briseis is already there."

Troy looked very horrified at the invitation. "Kid's party?"

"Young adults." His mother briefly specified. "Now go. Shower up! Your sister is down there already!" She commanded him.

Troy grabbed the ball from his dad, ran and asked his mom. "One more." Referring to having one more shot at the hoop. His mother sighed exasperatedly. "Last one. It will be quick." And before his mom could even respond, Troy dodged his dad and gave one last perfected excellent shot.

"There we go! That's the way to handle it!"

The Freestyle Club, where the party was going on. There was a couple singing some karaoke up in the small stage the made in the middle, balloons were all over, people were playing games and others were dancing to the groove, some kids were at the table opening some presents, blowing their New Years' horns and some people were just at their table animatedly talking to their friends.

Troy Bolton, freshly showered and dressed up in a soft blue polo shirt and a long brown formal coat, reluctantly entered the party, wishing he wasn't there and that he could just play basketball and shoot hoops again. He really felt out of place. He made his way through the crowd and ended up standing at the side of the stage, looking for someone he could relate to, particularly his twin sister, Briseis.

On the other side of the room, Gabriella Montez was also making her way in the crowd, clutching tightly her precious book in her arms. She was dressed up for the evening as well. Simply attired but beautiful still. Like Troy, she was also reluctant going to the party, wishing she could just finish up reading, since the story was so interesting. And reading she shall do. She happily found another couch behind the stage on the right side and began to joyfully carry on reading.

Troy was already getting bored.

"Hey there!" a petite, dark haired girl in a seemingly fashionable but simple outfit, exclaimed, jumping out of nowhere in front of Troy.

"Briseis! Oh I'm so glad to see you!" He exclaimed, happy that finally he found who he was looking for.

"Bored already Troy? Wishing you could go back to shooting your hoops?" She asked him teasingly.

"Oh you know me too well." He replied, smiling at his beautiful sister.

Just then, the couple on stage had finally finished singing and the emcees were also now up the stage.

"Alright! Give it up for a couple of Snowboarders!" The emcee said to the audience. The applause was enough to know that he was heard. "Yeah! Who's gonna rock the house next?" The emcee asked the audience. Two spotlights were then lit, moving around the room, trying to find the next couple to sing and entertain for them.

Unfortunately for Troy, the spotlight ended up at him.

"Oh my God! Troy! You got picked! You're going to sing!" Briseis exclaimed at her brother, slightly tugging his shirt in excitement. Troy, it seemed, was extremely surprised and lost. He started protesting immediately, while the rest of the people, cheered him on.

And unfortunately for the innocent Gabriella, the second spotlight ended up on her. Poor Gabriella roused from her reading. Shock and surprise evident in her face as she had no idea what was going on. The emcee gave his hand and brought her up the stage saying that she had to sing. She was so shocked! She really did not want this to be happening.

"Oh Troy! Go! Sing! I want to hear you sing! Go sing!" Briseis exclaimed, now pushing her brother along with the rest of the guys.

"I can't sing…" Troy just kept protesting to no use.

The emcee came in between Gabriella and Troy. "Hey you know, someday, you guys might be thanking me for this." His final words to them before they started singing. He gave it an afterthought. "Or not."

Troy was just at a loss. He really did not want to sing. And his partner as he looked at her, seemed to share the same sentiments that he did. She didn't even want to look at him! Her arms were crossed in defense and she was looking down as if the entire world seemed to be down there. Troy was annoyed. But too late, the music was starting. He didn't even know the song! Until he saw the screen above him. _Well, what the heck. Humiliate myself then. _He thought.

"_Living in my own world, didn't understand."_ Troy started singing, completely nervous. The audience started to quiet down, their new interest; the couple about to sing. Briseis was absolutely transfixed. She could believe that her twin brother, Troy Bolton was about to sing with a beautiful stranger in front of a huge, live audience. _Is it the end of the world? _Briseis thought, apparently shocked.

Troy continued singing his part. _"…That anything could happen, when you take a chance."_ He didn't want to sing anymore. His partner was unenthusiastic about it anyway. So after his line, he turned and started to walk down the stage until…

"_I never believed in, what I couldn't see. I never opened my heart_…" Troy instantly turned, hearing the girl sing, thinking that she had one of the most beautiful voices. But her arms were still crossed and she was still looking down. Her shyness now completely evident to Troy. He realized now he couldn't leave her behind just like that. _Plus this could be fun. _He thought to himself.

"_Oooh..."_ Troy softly sang in the background while his beautiful partner continued singing, "_To all the possibilities…Oooh…" _

Now they sang together, _"I know that something has changed, never felt this way, and right here tonight…"_ Their duet working out not like they planned but something much more shockingly amazing. Troy could see his beautiful partner was slowly gaining confidence in herself, realizing that he too, was doing the same thing.

"_This could be that start of something new. It feels so right to be here with you…"_ And she kept stealing glances at him and he just caught every single one. He'd see her smile the most beautiful smile secretly whenever he'd catch her stealing a glance. She finally gave up the game and looked at him with the most fondest expression and the smile clearly saying that she loved what they were doing at the moment. He thought she was the most beautiful girl he's ever seen. _"And now looking in your eyes…"_ She stole another glance at him and sung her part. _"I feel in my heart…" _He already loved her eyes and her smile. She looked so beautiful, Troy was thinking. _"Feel in my heart. The start of something new." _

Now Troy was in the game. This feeling, he never had it before, much less with a beautiful stranger. He wanted to carry on. He wanted to keep her smiling at him. He had his confidence back on track and wanted his partner to follow his lead.

"_Now who've ever thought that... (Oooh...)"_ He slowly took off his jacket and passed it to his wide-eyed sister. "_We'd both be here tonight?"_ They sang together. His partner seemed to really gain her confidence as well as she hit the high note. _"And the world looks so much brighter…Oh! With you by my side…(By my side...)" _Troy was feeling the groove as well. He liked singing and he liked his partner. _"I know that something has changed. Never felt this way, I know it for real…This could be the start of something new…"_ The audience was now all dancing and feeling their song as well. Now, Troy and Gabriella couldn't take their eyes off each other while singing_. "It feels so right, to be here with you…Oh.. And now looking in your eyes, I feel in my heart…feel in my heart…the start of something new…"_

Troy didn't know what got into him. He started doing an exhibition with the mic like how he had seen it on TV, making the audience cheer for him more, Briseis get shocked at his little groove thing and his partner to smile more at him. _"I never knew that it could it happen till it happened to me…Oh…Yeah…" _

In turn, Gabriella did a small exhibition as well which also made the audience applause for her as well. "_I didn't know it before but now its easy to see…Ooohhh…" _Now they were both dancing to the beat of the song and feeling the music and lyrics of the song. _"It's the start of something new. It feels so right to be here with you. Oh and now looking in your eyes. I feel in my heart…" _Troy was now advancing to his duet partner. He slowly took the mic stand out of her soft hands. He could see her shyness coming back, her smile as he came closer to her. _"That's it's the start of something new. It feels so right to be here with you, ooh…" _She stepped back as he moved closer to her. She didn't realize she was about to fall off the stage. Good thing, the audience saw it coming and was able to push her back. They smiled at each other at that. "_And now looking in your eyes, I feel in my heart…feel in my heart…The start something new (The start of something new)…" _As the song was about to end, they slowed down as well. They stared intently at each other's eyes. Never caring of the others, never wavering, just loving the feeling they were in the moment. _"…The start of something…new………"_ And even when the audience was clapping so loud for them and the song had finally ended, they were still in the moment. Briseis was just down there watching it all happen, watching it all with excitement, and watching how her brother was falling in love with a stranger girl. She watched as amidst the crowd applauding for them, Troy reached out his hand to the girl and gave his name.

"Gabriella." The stranger girl replied in enthusiasm. Briseis knew that at that moment, when their hands came in contact, electric currents were flying everywhere for the both of them. So the girl had a name. Briseis would remember that name forever. And she knew so would Troy.

Troy brought his beautiful partner down the stage and started approaching his sister. Briseis, wide eyed, touched that her brother never failed to remember her, knew exactly what was going to happen. They made a promise about this before. Once there is a girl Troy finally actually really liked, he'd first introduce his girl to his beloved sister and vice-versa.

He actually looked nervous in front of his own sister. _Him! Nervous? The Wild-cat champion? There is no way._ But he composed himself immediately.

"Gabriella," He started, extending an arm to his beautiful raven twin sister. "This is my twin sister, Briseis. She was watching us…" He whispered to her. "Briseis meet Gabriella, as you saw was my singing partner."

"Pleased to meet you." Gabriella said extending her hand to Troy's sister. Briseis liked her already. Plus Gabriella and Troy make the most perfect couple.

"Same to you." Briseis smiled, taking the offered hand. Troy gave her a look. And there was an understanding between them immediately. "Alright, alright. Go! Be together, bond, talk. If ever you need me, I'll just be around…Take care you two. And Happy New Year, Gabriella." And with that Briseis dashed out of the scene to leave Troy and Gabriella to themselves.

Almost the whole night, Troy and Gabriella were together, talking and having fun. They mostly talked about what happened earlier because none expected to do anything like that tonight. They soon made their way outside to see the New Year fireworks.

"But seriously you have an amazing voice." Troy was saying. Gabriella blushed. "You're a singer right?"

"Just church choir." She answered. "I tried a solo and nearly fainted."

"Really?" It seemed Troy just couldn't believe it but still he remained interested. "Why is that?"

"I took a good look of all the people staring at me and next thing I know I was staring at the ceiling. End of Solo career." She briefly explained.

"Well with the way you sung tonight, that's pretty hard to believe."

"Well that was the first time I've done something like that. I mean it was so cool!" Gabriella replied enthusiastically.

"I know! Completely!" Troy said in the same tone.

"Well you sounded like you've done a lot of singing too." Gabriella commented.

"Yeah sure. My shower habits very impressive." They both laughed at that.

In the background, the kids started the countdown for the New Year. (9, 8, 7, 6…). They both knew this would be the last 10 sec. they'd get to spend together before reality had to come back in. They both felt reluctant about it since they were already having such a good time. An awkward silence settled between them as the fireworks started up signaling a whole New Year has just begun.

Gabriella looked at Troy, not wanting to leave, wanting to say something but didn't know what.

"I guess I'd go find my mom and wish her a Happy New Year." _Nice going Gabby. _She thought sarcastically to herself.

"Yeah me too." Troy agreed. "I mean my mom, not your mom… And dad…and sister." Troy felt absolutely stupid now. Gabriella just nodded. "I'll call you!" Troy exclaimed, almost forgetting. "I'll call you tomorrow!"

"Yeah!" She exclaimed.

"Put your number in." Troy took a picture of her and gave the phone to her.

"You too." She gave her phone to him. The exchanged numbers and phones and with one last smile Gabriella silently left without Troy realizing it. So he babbled on.

"Just so you know, singing with you was the most fun I had in this entire vacation. So uh, where do you live?" He turned realizing she already left. He looked around for her but to no avail. He looked back at his phone seeing the most beautiful girl on it.

"Gabriella…" He whispered, never forgetting the feeling she made him feel that evening.


	2. Chapter 1: Coincidence

Summary: crsovr HSM&Troy. Troy Bolton has a twin sister, Briseis Bolton.Back in East High, an evil genius plots to destroy the HSM gang & sends them back in Ancient Greece. The fall of Troy has happened, Achilles is not dead instead Briseis is. What happens when the great warrior chances a meeting upon the present Briseis? and how will the gang get back in time to save the school from evil hands, callbacks, Decathlon and the Championship game?

- the time travel thingy for the gang wont happen for a few more chapters. but next chapter is about Achilles. -

Chapter 1

1 week later

The Winter break was finally over. School is back and at the East High, Albuquerque, New Mexico everyone was booming with excitement and chatter and merriment. Cheerleaders were flying and dancing everywhere, skaters were skateboarding again, the basketball jocks were awaiting for their fellow Captain, in the meantime, playing a short dribbling game and everyone else was greeting each other and cheering their old Wildcat hymn_ Wildcats sing along, yeah you really got it going on, Wildcats in the house, everybody, say it now! Wildcats… _

Finally, a huge yellow bus came to a stop. As Troy and Briseis Bolton got off the bus, everyone who was around the area started flocking over to them in greeting. By "everyone" meaning the cheerleaders and the basketball jocks. Their team captain and student body president have finally arrived. Troy's next best man, Chad, greeted eagerly his friend.

"Hey guys, Happy New Year." Troy said happily, walking alongside his sister, who also was sharing the same feeling of happiness and excitement. Everyone else was trailing behind them or at their tail and shouted for joy at Troy's greeting.

"Yeah! It's gonna be a Happy Wildcat New Year man!" Chad exclaimed enthusiastically. He was always a loyal and true supporter to the Wildcat team in East High. People agreed in glee at his exclamation as well. "2 weeks we're going to the Championships, with you leading us to infinity and beyond."

Troy smiled sheepishly and didn't respond at the compliment. He was always the humble fellow.

"Oh! I'm so excited for that day!" Briseis interjected excitedly. "You guys will be your at-most glory once again!"

"Not us. The whole school." Chad replied with confidence. "WHAT TEAM!" he started…

"WILDCATS!" Everyone replied.

"WHAT TEAM!"

"WILDCATS!"

It was going to be a great day coming back.

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The halls were filled with a great many people. People hanging around for awhile at their lockers, people walking to their classes or people just chattering away all the events that happened during the Winter break.

One girl, stood out from the crowd with her flashy all pink Gucci wardrobe, naturally cat walking in the middle of the hallway with her eyes glued to her up-class high-tech cell phone and her brother (dressed as trendy and 1st class as she was) walking by her side. The girl, Sharpay Evans and her brother Ryan Evans were now slowly approaching the basketball jocks that were coming in. Sharpay pouted a bit at them and waved her hands up in a signal for them to make way for her because she wanted to pass in between them. They all parted ways for her, not in terror but in somewhat mockery. They didn't like her that much at all. But Sharpay and her brother were as popular and as powerful as they were, only Sharpay and Ryan only cared for the betterment of themselves and no one else's.

"The Ice Princess has returned from the North Pole." One commented in mockery. Everyone else laughed.

"You know she probably spent the holidays as she always does." Chad said knowingly.

"How is that?" Troy asked curious.

"Shopping for mirrors!"

Everyone absolutely AGREED on that. And laughed loudly. Sharpay's vanity has reached an infinity and beyond.

The jocks noise though, unknowingly annoyed another group. A group not that much seen or known, The Scholastics, who were putting up new posters up the school walls that time.

Their team captain, Taylor, stopped from her work to take a peek at them.

"Ugh." She said in disgust. "Behold the zoo animals holding their New Year."

And at that, the morning bell, signaling for students to go to their classes immediately, rang.

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Only three people seemed not to be cheerful or excited about the school coming back to action. Nor did they care to associate with others. They were hidden in the depths of the school, far from everyone's eyesight, but close enough to get to their classes as soon as the morning bell rang.

"It's almost ready."

The guy said in a deep voice, with a tone of malice in it.

"Good."

This time a girl. So much evil, deceit and cunning guile was in her voice, it was enough to bring shivers to your spine.

"Soon we will have our glory."

Another guy, who had a voice that clearly voiced out his hungry for power and popularity.

And then, they laughed softly.

Not just any laugh out of merriment, but a laugh that held much evil and wickedness in it.

And at that precise moment, the morning bell rang.

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Gabriella Montez was walking nervously in her new school. She felt quite anxious about it all. On her sides, the principal of East High and her ever supportive mother.

"Ma, my stomach." Gabriella said, voicing out her inhibitions and holding her stomach. Her mother turned to her.

"It's always like this on the first day of school." She replied to her daughter comfortingly. "You'll do great, you always do." Gabriella pouted and looked all the more nervous. "And I made my company a promise that I can't transfer until you graduate." Gabriella's mother pointed out.

The Principal softly interjected. "I've reviewed your impressive transcripts. I assume your life will shine brightly here at East High." He said with much assurance, while giving Gabriella her schedule of classes and a map of the school so she wouldn't be lost.

Gabriella glanced at it dejectedly.

"I don't want to be the school's freaky genius again." She turned back to her mom. Her mother gave her a soft look and held her in her hands.

"You just be Gabriella." She said simply and kissed her goodbye on the forehead.

"This way." The Principal softly said, indicating that she had to go to her classes. He led her to the stairs. Gabriella imagined it to be her stairway to doom as she slowly went up. She glanced back at her mother, as if it would be the last time she'd ever see her mom and then ran all the way up.

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In the Drama Classroom, students were all preparing for class. Or more likely, passing the basketball around and still chattering about their Winter Break or greeting each other while their teacher was lounging for awhile reading a script of some sort. Troy Bolton was seated on top of his desk at front, with his back faced to the teacher, talking animatedly to his friend, who had the same position as him. His sister, Briseis was in another class. Though they were supposed to have the same time for Drama Class, she chose to take a higher level of a subject: Advanced Chemistry.

Gabriella finally made it to her first class without fainting or anything of the sort. She looked around the class for the teacher in charge and did not notice the man who she sang with a week ago at the Freestyle Club on New Year's Eve. She spotted her teacher and gave a sheet to her indicating that she was a new student to East High. Then she slowly went passed the rest of the people finding a seat at the very back of the classroom, unknowingly passing Troy.

Troy, who was still talking animatedly to his friend, stopped the moment Gabriella passed him. He got curious, his heart beating as he watched the girl walking to the back of the classroom. He knew, deep inside him that it was her. He'd recognize that hair anywhere. But he still wasn't quite sure. He wanted to see clearly if it really was Gabriella but people blocked his way. Like Sharpay, for example.

"Hi Troy." She said flirtatiously and laughing in a very flirty way. Though, Sharpay was quite oblivious to Troy as his attention was trying to see the face of the girl, who he couldn't see because she was at the back of the class and everyone else was in his way.

The 2nd bell rang.

"I trust you all had a splendid holiday." Ms. Darbus, the Drama teacher said loudly making the students sit down on their chairs and prepare themselves for class. "Check the lobby signs, for new activities, Mr. Bolton," Scolding Troy, seeing as he still wasn't properly seated at his chair, because he was still quite trying to find out the face of the girl. He sat down immediately as his attention was called. "Especially our Winter Musicale." Ms. Darbus continued on.

Chad, noticing his friend's troubled face asked, "Hey man, you alright?"

Troy merely nodded in response.

"We will have single auditions for our supporting roles and pairs auditions for our two leads." Ms. Darbus continued on advertising.

Chad gave a "Boo", thumbs down in response to that. Though he was a true supporter for his team and school, he absolutely despised anything that goes on with the Drama Club, musicales in particular.

"Mr. Danforth, this is a place of learning, not a hockey arena." While Chad hated the theater antics, Ms. Darbus clearly disliked the basketball, sports area. In her opinion, they give importance to nothing else in life. Chad immediately hid the basketball out of her sight.

"There is also a signup for next week's Decathlon Competition. Chem. Club Taylor Mackessie," Taylor raised her hand up at that. "Can answer all your questions regarding that."

Troy, in the meantime, was not paying attention to any of the announcements and was desperate about finding out who the girl was. He finally thought of an idea and brought out his phone, dialed Gabriella's number and pressed the call button.

A soft ring tone then floated in the ears of everyone in the classroom.

And Troy was shocked at this revelation.

_She was here. _

His heart leapt to the fastest speed ever.

"Aah, the cell phone menace has returned to our crucible of learning." Ms. Darbus announced, dropping her papers and getting a small bucket of some sort.

Sharpay, holding out her phone, wondered whose phone it was ringing. She turned to her brother, Ryan. "Was that you?"

He shook his head in response.

"Sharpay and Ryan, cell phones." Ms. Darbus holding out the bucket to them. "And I will see you in detention."

Sharpay groaned at that. She did not wish to have detention on the first day back.

Meanwhile, Gabriella realizing the phone which was ringing was hers, she frantically checked who the caller was. Seeing it was Troy, she made a confused look.

"We have ZERO tolerance for cell phones in class," Ms. Darbus said as she made her way to Gabriella, holding out the bucket in front of her new student. "So, we will get to know each other better in detention. Cell phone!" She said menacingly. "And welcome to East High, Ms. Montez."

And at that statement, Troy got it. He felt quite happy at that moment. Ms. Darbus spotted him next holding out a cell phone as well.

"Mr. Bolton, I see your phone is involved so we will see each other in detention as well!"

Chad, hearing that, protested immediately.

"That's not really a possibility, Ms. Darbus, Your Honor. See, 'cause we have basketball practice and Troy…"

But Ms. Darbus wouldn't have ANY of it. "Aah!" She interrupted before Chad could even finish. "That will be 15 minutes for you too, Mr. Danforth. Count on it."

Chad's face looked appalled at that.

Seeing this punishment, Taylor gleefully whispered to her seatmates, "That could be hard for Chad, he probably can't count that high."

"TAYLOR MACKESSIE, 15 MINUTES!"

Like Chad, her expression couldn't be any less than shocked.

Ms. Darbus banged the bucket full of cell phones on Troy's chair, making him jump. She was mad.

"Holidays are over people! WAY OVER!" She breathed. "Now, any more comments, questions?"

The guy at the back, behind Taylor slowly raised his hand.

"Jason."

"So…how were your holidays Ms. Darbus?" Jason asked, as if nothing out of the ordinary happened just 5 seconds ago. Troy, Chad and Taylor looked back at him with faces that might have read, "WHAT!" or something of that sort.

"What?" He asked them all in defensive. Taylor just closed her eyes in response. Ms. Darbus just shook her head.

The bell rang precisely at that.

And everyone immediately made their way out to get to their next class.

Troy bolted out the classroom first and hid just behind the door. Everyone greeted him students made their way out.

"See in detention man." Chad dejectedly said to Troy as he made his way to his next class. He would rather have basketball practice than go to a stupid detention.

The last girl, Gabriella finally exited the class, looking over at her school map so that she wouldn't be lost. Troy immediately spotted her and ran to her.

"Hey!" He said with surprise and excitement on his face on seeing his singing partner. Gabriella shared the same surprised look as he did.

"I don't…"

"Believe it…"

"Or me…"

"Either…"

They shared a look and laughed quietly at how they were able to finish each other's sentences now.

"My mother's company transferred here to Albuquerque." Gabriella explained. "I don't believe it! I can't believe you live here!" She exclaimed brightly, relieved to know that she was lucky enough to find someone she knew. Troy heart raced to the top seeing her beautiful face lit up.

They started walking together along the corridor.

"I know!" Troy said while whispering. "I mean this is a real surprise!"

"Why are you whispering?" Gabriella asked him, giving him a funny look. She continued looking around to see where she was going.

"Well you know, about the Snowboarding thing, nobody really knows about it…" Troy said nervously, hoping she'll get the idea. And she did.

"You're friends don't know you sing." Gabriella stated.

"Well… it's just that… well… that time… it was a totally different person…" He stopped short, as Gabriella abruptly turned completely focused on finding her right way. He smiled to himself.

"So…Welcome to East High!" Troy said enthusiastically as they were walking in a new corridor. And then they saw the audition signups for the winter musicale. "And I'm sure you just can't wait to try out for that." Troy pointed gently to the audition signups.

Gabriella smiled, softly shaking her head. "Oh no. I don't want to sign up for anything yet. I just want to get to know the school. But if you sign up, I'd consider coming to the show." She grinned.

Troy grinned back. "Yeah that's quite impossible."

"What's impossible, Troy?" a flashy blonde in pink suddenly came out of nowhere, surprising both Troy and Gabriella. "I wouldn't think that was even in your vocabulary." Sharpay's icy eyes turned to Gabriella. "It's so nice of you showing our new classmate around."

Sharpay then turned to the bulletin board behind her, took out her permanent marker and signed her name almost filling up the entire bulletin board so that no one else would be able to sign their names. She turned around.

"Oh!" Sharpay exclaimed to Gabriella in mock attitude. "Where you going to sign up?" Before anyone could answer, she carried on. "My brother and I have starred in all of the school's productions. There are a lot of _supporting_ roles in the show. I'm sure we can find something for you."

Even though insulted, Gabriella smiled sweetly with Troy getting nervous for her. "No no no. I was just looking around the bulletins; a lot's going on in this school. Wow…" Troy just nodded in approval of whatever Gabriella said.

Gabriella took this as a sign for her exit. She slowly walked across Sharpay, giving her a theatrical smile. "Nice penmanship." And she left to go to her next class.

Troy thought it would have been the perfect time to leave also, since he wasn't exactly feeling comfortable being near the Ice Princess. But before he could anywhere far, Sharpay stopped him.

"So!" Sharpay went up to him. "What'd you this vacation?"

Troy really wanted to leave. "Um… basketball… More basketball. Haha."

"You are so dedicated." Sharpay complimented in awe. "Just like me!" She added.

Troy laughed awkwardly at that.

"Watch me at my show." Sharpay invited. Troy nodded. "Promise?" Troy gave her an honest nod and tried to leave again until Sharpay stopped him again.

"Tootles!"

Troy just stared back horrifically. "Tootles…" He replied awkwardly and ran off to the other direction.

Sharpay seeming satisfied made her way to her own class, not before turning to where Gabriella walked off and glaring as if she was still there.


	3. Chapter 2: The End of the Beginning

- This chapter goes all the way back to the time of Troy the untold story. D don't own anything from Troy but I wish I did. : D

Chapter 3

The City of Troy celebrated much with their defeat with the Greeks. Earlier in the day, it was discovered that they have fled, fleeing across the Aegean because Apollo had struck them with plague. Greeks being Greeks, they never left without leaving something behind. A great wooden horse, intimidating in its size and structure and built, it was said that it was an offering to Poseidon for a safe voyage back home. The high priests convinced King Priam to bring it in the city while Paris told him to burn it. Unfortunately, Paris' words came unheeded and unheard, much to his great disappointment.

"Look at them," He told Helen horrifically, unbelieving how his people could be this happy while so much tragedy has passed through them. "You'd think their prince had never died."

Helen turned to him. He was right of course, but now he needed comfort. "You're their prince now." She started softly. "Make your brother proud."

And Paris' eyes lit with determination. Helen was right as well. And he would make his brother proud.

---------------------------------------------------

As the city celebrated, little did they know of the Greek soldiers inside the dark horse, watching them as they celebrated, silently laughing at their foolishness. But one did not laugh, one did feel excited or victory because of the plan. Instead he just gazed down at the people, scanning the grounds for someone. A Trojan girl he grew to love during this pathetic war. Achilles' did not find her among the people though and he could already figure out why. But he carried on looking down at the people, fear creeping in his spine. He did not want it this way. He did not wish to win battles or lands in this kind of manner. He couldn't believe that they, the Greeks, were not getting struck down yet. He shifted his gaze to sky. Why wasn't Apollo doing anything for his own people? The people who put their full trust in him for protection and safety. The people who believed in him to the fullest extent and believed in him with every inch of their lives. He glared at the sky then. He cursed Apollo. He always did. But not so much as now. The Sun God would never do anything for his faithful and innocent followers.

Odysseus, King of Ithaca, silently came next to the great warrior.

"Found what you're looking for yet?" He asked his old friend.

Achilles didn't answer.

"Achilles…" Odysseus started, but he was cut off by the blue-eyed warrior.

"If she dies because of your plan, I swear you will never see both your wife and child ever again."

Odysseus sighed deeply.

"I didn't want this too. But I didn't have a choice. I was desperate. The men were desperate. Agamemnon wouldn't give up. His own greediness has made him a madman."

Silence loomed over the two for a while.

"What spell has this Trojan slave put upon you that has made you change everything about your own self?" Odysseus asked in wonder.

"Peace." Achilles simply answered.

"Peace? Since when were you in favor of that?"

Achilles ignored the question. "She gave me peace in this lifetime of war. Even the greatest of all the warriors gets tired of fighting. I have already won my glory."

"We are all tired of fighting as well." Odysseus replied. And his tricks had played once again with Achilles. But it was true, both of them knew that each and every one of them did not want to fight anymore and just wanted to return to the peace they once knew.

Achilles was about to say something to his companion but a shrill of a shriek silenced him, as well as the small chatter among the Greeks and the entire city. Achilles and Odysseus peered down to find out what was going on.

And then they saw.

A woman with big wild eyes and dark hair with curls messed up and each strand exploded at every angle. Everyone could see how messed up she looked. As soon as Paris saw her in the middle of the center, he stood up immediately. Seeing the alert in his eyes, Helen followed his action. Andromache came out from behind them carrying her son in her arms, her eyes wide and full of fear. Helen had no idea who this woman was. But it seemed that she had silenced the entire city and everyone seemed to fear her. As she took one step, looking wildly at each and everyone one of the people, they backed off not wanting to be near the madwoman.

"You fools!" She shrieked. "You let that monster in! You should've burned it!" She pointed at the dark looming horse and her eyes became blood-shot with fear and horror. "I saw…" She murmured in a haunting manner but the people including Greeks inside the horse froze. Everything and everyone was silent. "We will all die tonight…Why do you dance and sing in front of that _thing!_" She disgustingly looked upon her people. She spat on the ground, emphasizing her point. "Don't you know they are laughing at us? That they have outsmarted us? You all are FOOLS!" She shrieked once again. And every Greek soldier in the horse was frightened, for the woman's screams rang true.

"And you, Cassandra, are a madwoman." A voice came from a distance. Everyone turned to the voice. It was King Priam. Achilles was a bit shocked at the tone and words of the Great King he so admired. He never expected Priam to say such things. "Seize her!" And the Trojan guards ran to the woman and grabbed her at every angle. Cassandra fought to break free, she twisted madly against the soldiers, and she continued screaming threats and insults to the people all around her.

"STOP!"

Another voice screamed. This time a woman. And Achilles recognized that voice any day. Both Greeks and the Trojans turned to the woman running to the center, to the guards and to Cassandra.

"LET HER GO!" She commanded as she ran. She stopped when she reached her destination, in front of the guards who held her dear cousin. "DID YOU NOT HEAR ME!" Briseis boomed to them. And from above, Achilles again was surprised at the tone of her voice. She had the air of such authority and power. From his side, he could feel Odysseus' intake of his breath and the wide eyes that now gazed at his beloved. Unbelieving and wondering.

One of the guards replied softly to Briseis, explaining, "My Lady, we cannot release her, King Priam…" but his explanation was interrupted rudely by Briseis.

"I demand you to release her this instant! By order of the princess!" She gave each guard a piercing look. "I am not a priestess anymore."

And all the Greeks inside the dark horse, shook at the weight of her words except Achilles. He smiled down proudly at his beloved. Odysseus slowly turned to the Great Warrior, letting the knowledge of the fact sink in. That all this time, Achilles had not a slave in his tent, but a royalty, a Princess of Troy.

At the corner of his eye, he saw King Priam and his high priests making their way down to the woman who changed the life of a Great Warrior. And saw that hearing her words, everyone understood and the guards immediately obeyed. They let go of the madwoman and she sunk behind Briseis' back.

King Priam made his way to his niece. "My girl," he said softly. "What has gotten into you?"

Briseis stood tall against her uncle, who she never before has defied. "Uncle, let Cassandra go. The guards are not to go anywhere near her." She said in a commanding manner and each and everyone, including Achilles was shocked at her words.

King Priam's eyes widened. "You have changed." He said simply.

"Yes I have." Briseis said admitted, her eyes never wavering. "And I'm proud that I did. And I can assure you Uncle that Cassandra will make no disturbance anymore. I will talk to her. If you do not believe anything she says then that is your own fault." She turned then to the people, addressing them all. "Everyone here has thought of Cassandra as a madwoman. But she has screamed nothing but the truth since the beginning! She was the one who envisioned that Helen of Troy would bring a war between great nations! **Hector** listened to her once and addressed the high priests not to attack the Greeks." Briseis' piercing eyes glared at the high priests behind the King. She turned back to the Trojans. "But Hector had no choice but to attack them! And he thought he had killed Achilles…" She stopped for a while when she said his name. "But it was Patroclus, sweet, young and innocent Patroclus was killed instead! Cassandra envisioned that too! But you all could not see, **refused** to see that she was right and now we lost Hector because of that mistake, and you all still wish to see the woman, this **madwoman** hanged before you all! HOW DARE YOU ALL! My cousin has been right from the beginning, even Hector saw it! HOW DARE YOU ALL CELEBRATE HERE AS IF YOUR PRINCE HAD NEVER DIED!"

And everyone was frightened at the woman who addressed them all, they had never seen their princess this angry, for once voicing out her reasoning. The people were frightened yet admired their great princess all the same. Odysseus could see just how much power she had among her people, her words greatly striking each and every one them. Achilles had never seen Briseis in such a state, he had never seen her so angry and he was more than surprised to say the least. His heart beat rapidly at her words, her power, and her authority. He would've fought a hundred wars for her instead of their pig of a king, Agamemnon. It seemed that each and every royalty of Troy had earned his respect and admiration in their own ways. He was stunned.

Briseis turned from her people, disgusted at them all, not caring anymore what they thought of her. She had had enough! She gently led Cassandra back into the palace, oblivious to the glowing and hopeful eyes of her prophetic cousin.

"Apollo will curse you for this defiance." One of King Priam's high priests threatened. And Achilles would've ripped his head right then and there if only he wasn't all the way up behind the shadows.

Briseis stopped.

"I am not afraid. Apollo has cursed us all since the beginning. He will curse us all till the end. What does it matter anymore? We are all cursed."

Andromache's eyes watered at her words and Paris' heart pierced, while Helen was simply dumbstruck by her strength. So was everyone who watched as she walked away, her head raised high with a weakened Cassandra at her side.

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Briseis stood alone in the gardens of the palace, her thoughts in a mess. As much as she was strong on the outside, deep within, her soul was a chaos. So deep in thought she was in, she didn't notice the presence of Cassandra until she spoke, startling Briseis.

"I know what happened when you were in the Greek camp." Cassandra started.

"I know you do." Briseis replied.

Silence reigned.

"Why do you not judge me?" Briseis exclaimed. "Why do you judge Helen and Paris and not I? The woman in love with Troy's greatest enemy, killer of Hector and betrayer to her kingdom? Why? They would." She said sorrowfully, referring to the rest of her family.

"Helen brought us this war. She will kill us all. Wipe out an entire kingdom including your beloved warrior." Cassandra replied gravely. "He saved you many times. He is in love with you as well."

"But why?"

"You changed him." Cassandra simply said.

"I hope I did."

"He would've gone away if Hector didn't come for his cousin."

Briseis bowed down her head. She knew all of this already.

"Is he in there?" the question came out of the blue.

It took a long time for Cassandra to reply.

"I think you already know that."

Briseis sighed. Tears were now threatening to fall.

"His purpose here is not like the rest of the soldiers."

And Briseis turned to her cousin at that last statement, hope filling her, her eyes begging Cassandra to tell her that she was not lying.

"I think you already know that." Came the reply to the unanswered plea.

Silence loomed over the two again as Briseis digested the fact.

"His mother was a prophet as well. Thetis envisioned that his doom would be here in Troy." Cassandra murmured.

And dread, filled Briseis once again.

"I will not let that happen."

Cassandra's eyes widened. "You cannot stop fate. You cannot stop such things from happening." She paused. "I know. I have tried."

The reality seemed too much for both the women.

"I don't want him to die."

"He doesn't want you to die either."

Now, tears were falling freely down Briseis' eyes. The reality of the fact seemed too much for her to carry.

"I will stop it." She said, naively.

"You cannot."

"I cannot live without him."

"He cannot live without you too."

Briseis let out a sob.

"I love him."

"Would you do anything for him? Would you make the greatest sacrifice of your life?" Cassandra asked her cousin, knowing already what she would answer. But she had to hear it for herself.

"Yes." She turned to the prophet. "But I think you already know that."

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Troy was burning. Blood was everywhere and screams filled the city. The whole of Troy was in chaos. The people realized that Cassandra was right, but too late have they realized this. Each and every Trojan was one by one dying by the hands of the Greeks that have finally gotten inside the high walls of Troy.

Agamemnon, stood in the middle of the fires, laughing manically.

"Burn it!" He yelled. Feeling the power and the victory on his lips. "Burn Troy!"

And so people ran left and right, Greeks slaughtered left and right as well, not sparing a single person.

Andromache clutched her son tightly in her arms, knowing exactly what to do now. Hector had taught her what to do. At this moment, she felt so much fear, but she could feel Hector's spirit in her, guiding her, telling her exactly what to do. And she wasn't afraid for long. She worked fast. She soon found Helen and Paris and led them to the hidden tunnel Hector had shown her only almost 2 weeks ago. She did as he said and found as many people as she could save. She led them all down in the tunnel.

"Paris!" She turned to him remembering something and the fear suddenly came back. "Briseis… She wasn't in her room…"

Paris understood immediately. "I'll look for her." He turned to Helen and told her to go. She didn't want to. She was afraid too. "Go. You must. We will be together. In this life or the next. But right now you must go and save yourself. I will come back. Go." He kissed her passionately before he left and she looked back longingly at her beloved before she too turned to follow the rest of the people.

Briseis ran.

She was terribly frightened now and didn't know what to do, except run. Cassandra was lost to her as well. She ran. And ran. And ran with all her strength. "Paris! Andromache! Cassandra!" She yelled as she ran. She would not give up the hope that they were lost and gone as well. She didn't feel it. People pushed and rushed passed her. But she went the other way. Trying to find Apollo once again, trying to run to him because she did not want to die in vain.

Little did she know, that her beloved also ran.

Achilles would not give up looking for her in this labyrinth. He will save her as he always had and take her far, far away from this hell Agamemnon greedily put up. He rushed passed the people, desperation and fear filling him. She was not dead yet. If she was, he would know it. He would get to her before that.

Briseis kneeled down in front of the statue of Apollo that overlooked the lava filled city. She prayed for the last time to him. She prayed that her family would be safe. Hector, Patroclus, Uncle Priam, guide her. She prayed that she be saved from this hell.

"Too late for prayers now, priestess." Agamemnon whispered menacingly, grabbing her hair and pulling her up to face him. "I will make you my slave and you will scrub my floors." Briseis glared at him, her eyes filled with hate as he held her. She slowly down Achilles' knife under her sleeve, unbeknownst to the pig king. "And at night…" But he didn't finish sentence, as Briseis finally slit his throat and mercilessly killed him. At last, she finally used the damn knife for its proper use. She ran again but Agamemnon's guards grabbed her before she could get far. She fought them with all her might.

"Hold her!" Exclaimed one guard about to kill her. She closed her eyes waiting for her life to end but it never came. Instead she fell to the ground and gentle arms lifted her. She opened her eyes to see a pair of blue eyes staring at her. Cassandra was right! He did come! And right now, she was more than relieved to see his presence.

"Come with me."

And she would have. Gladly. Willingly. If only she did not see from the corner of her eye, Paris and his crossbow aiming at her beloved. Her eyes widened and she knew this was the moment Cassandra was talking to her about earlier. In a flash, their conversation earlier returned to her. She remembered her own words. She did not want Achilles to die. And she would do everything for him.

_Would you make the greatest sacrifice of your life?_

The question filled her in an instant and with all her strength and might, she pushed Achilles away just in time for the Paris' arrow to hit **her** square at the chest. She yelped in pain, but she wanted this. She would not let Achilles die.

Both men's eyes widened. Paris for shooting the wrong person, for wondering why she took the arrow for the monster. Achilles for not believing that she had just done that and that she was now going to die. He went to her aid immediately.

"Briseis…" He didn't want this to happen. Tears fell from his eyes as he held the dying girl. Paris watched from afar, hearing the words of the lovers clearly.

"It's alright." She whispered. She couldn't raise her voice any higher than that.

"I fought so hard to free you." Achilles did not want her to die right now.

"Please don't kill my cousin…" She pleaded. "I knew… this would happen… Cassandra… she…" And she paused to catch her breath. She was going in awhile now.

Achilles shook his head, not wanting to believe. He kissed her softly. He kissed her one last time before she went. He breathed in her hair that smelled so sweet and so much like lavender. Her scent filled him one last time. He didn't want this moment to end. He didn't want her to end.

"Promise me."

And all Achilles could do was nod his head.

"You gave me peace in a lifetime of war." Tears flowing down both their cheeks. She went to kiss him softly again. She was going to leave him in a minute now.

"I… love… you…"

Those were her last words to Achilles before she breathed her last breath. Her last thoughts were how beautiful Achilles was and that dying in her lover's arms seemed to be the most peaceful.

Her body became cold and Achilles roared with pain. He begged her lifeless body to come back. He yelled that he loved her again and again and kissed her again and again, clinging to the false hope that she would come back again. But nothing worked. She was gone. And his heart was completely in pieces.

"I'm sorry."

From behind him, Paris whispered. Achilles turned to the young prince and rage filled him. He would've killed him except he remembered his promise to Briseis. He would not break that promise no matter what. He would not destroy her memory by destroying his promises to her.

"Go." Achilles commanded the prince. Paris looked up to the golden-haired warrior. The warrior that killed his brother and fell in love with his cousin. He could not believe he was sparing him this mercy. "Go. You must." Achilles repeated. "I promised Briseis. Now go. You must be safe. Go." And Paris fled to safety, leaving Achilles and his cousin's body behind. He knew that Achilles would give his cousin a proper burial. He loved Briseis. He do it for her.

Achilles turned back to the body of his beloved. He shrunk down by her side and wept. He sobbed for all the world to see. He wept at her body. And all he could think was how much he loved her. He didn't even get to see that the rest of the Greek soldiers including Odysseus slowly surrounded him, feeling his sorrow as well.

Achilles woke up from his nightmare, sweat dripping off all over him. He had this nightmare a lot of times. And he always ended up crying. Like now. Months have passed since the death of Briseis but he has never seemed to have moved on. He was still very much in love with her. He missed her greatly. And her death was forever engraved in his heart. Along with her love. Her life. Tears flowed down his cheeks again. He got up from his bed of furs and out his palace to look over the sea.

He breathed in deeply. Briseis had always loved the sea. Every time he would dream about her death again, he would always look out over the sea. It had almost become a routine of his to do so. A soft breeze blew at him. And he could feel her spirit once more. It was always like this. Sometimes it felt as if she had never died. Her spirit seemed to always be with him. Flowing through him, around him, all over him. It seemed to always guide him in whatever path he went. It was the only thing that kept him from living. Her spirit.

He felt it flow through him again.

"I love you too…" He whispered to wind.

And her spirit remained in him.


	4. Chapter 3: A Very Amusing Day

**A/N: **err guys… the previous chapter was just an overview of what happened back then. D. so we must get back to the present time now to make the story carry on. D we'll deal with Achilles again later on. D

Chapter 3

It was Basketball class. And Troy Bolton was in no other place except in the indoor basketball court AKA the gym. He and his teammates were warming up for practice, they all needed to get themselves in gear for the big game next week. But Troy's mind was straying elsewhere.

His mind kept drifting back to Gabriella, not believing his own luck of having her in his school now and of course the upcoming Winter Musicale Auditions. But he couldn't participate in such a thing. His teammates and friends would all laugh at him. They did have great thoughts about musicals and such, about how they were against such things because it seemed it defied the laws of nature and men. Troy sighed inwardly.

"So dude, you know that school musical thing…is it true you get extra credits for even just auditioning?" Troy asked Chad, as if it were something that would pop up in a normal conversation. Chad, who was warming up next to his leader, gave him a skeptical look.

"Who cares?" Chad replied dismissively.

Troy felt hopeless. "Well it's always good to get extra credit… I mean it could be useful…" Chad gave him a look. "For…college…" Troy stammered, he didn't know what else to say.

Chad gave him another look. "Do you ever think that Brond James and Shekel O'Neal would audition for a school musical?"

"Maybe!" Troy tried convincing his friend.

"Look, the music in those shows isn't hip hop…or rock. You'll never the sense of culture. It's like…show music. It's all costumes and makeup and… oh dude! It's frightening!" He shivered mockingly to emphasize his point.

"Yeah I know I just thought it'd be a good laugh…" Troy lied. Well he had no choice now did he? "Sharpay's kind of cute too…" Though Troy said this as an excuse. He did not at all find Sharpay cute; Gabriella was number one to him.

"Yeah and so is a mountain lion."

He really didn't get his leader today. He was being weird. _Must be the holiday blues. _Chad thought.

"Well Briseis is going to audition for the school musical." A new voice piqued in. This voice belonged to a blond hair shoulder-length well-toned muscular guy, Patroclus, first cousin to Troy and Briseis Bolton. He had been able to hear the conversation from earlier and decided this was his chance to butt in.

"Really?" Troy asked his cousin interested, as if all the hope came rushing back in. He was always close to his twin sister and cousin. He always knew the current events happening in their lives.

"Yup. She just told me a while ago. Of course not as lead role." Clearly hinting something to his two comrades. They got the point immediately.

"Sharpay and Ryan." They all said in unison.

Troy sighed. He envied his sister. She always knew how to balance things and be able to do anything she wanted and still get respected, admired and loved for it. She was a great leader. Without her, the school wouldn't be at its current pristine moment. But as swiftly as the feeling came, it left. It replaced by complete admiration and absolute respect for his sister. He was very proud of her.

"Well I guess I really have to be there to watch the show." Troy said. At least if he couldn't be the one to audition, someone else he knew that was a Bolton would.

"Bummer for you dude." Chad said gravely.

"Hey! Briseis has a beautiful voice." Patroclus defended. "And I'm only watching because she'll be in it." He declared proudly.

"Well…If Briseis is going to be there, then I guess we'll all have to support her." Chad considered. Then he chuckled slightly. "I bet Sharpay will think that the huge audience is all for her."

Troy and Patroclus laughed at that. The blonde did have a huge mind that mostly contained on how the world had fallen to her feet.

"Come on, let's get into shape." Chad said running off in excitement. Basketball was always his game.

Patroclus gave him a supporting smile, he knew something was bothering his cousin but decided to retain his silence. Troy was grateful for that.

"All right Wildcats!" Troy clapped his hands, calling his team's attention, signaling that the practice was about to start. "Pair up!"

And so, basketball practice had started.

But still, Troy's mind was blatant mess with the decision he needed to make.

_Why are my feelings so wrong? My head's in the game, but my heart's in the song, she makes this feel so right. Should I go for it?_

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Gabriella felt quite relieved for her first day. Things were going smoothly, though she was going to have detention later but it didn't matter. Her greatest luck had just come across her! Troy Bolton, the man she sang with just a week ago was going to the same school. She had to admit, she was soaring with happiness. And right now, she was having her first Chemistry class. She had always been really good in both Sciences and Math it was her talent. But she had gotten tired of being always seen and known as the Math Genius and nothing else and she felt relieved that she could start anew in this wonderful school.

"So!" a somewhat over cheery voice startled her from her work. Gabriella jumped a little at her chair. She turned to see Sharpay across her. She didn't quite feel comfortable with the Ice Princess but Gabriella was friendly and kind by nature so she gave every person the attention and respect they needed. "It seemed like you knew Troy Bolton." The blonde inquired expectantly.

Gabriella of course had to deny this. People here did not know of their all-star player's splendid performance. "Not really. He was just showing me around."

"Well Troy doesn't usually interact with new students." Sharpay mused. Gabriella couldn't do anything but shrug. She turned back to her work. Her gaze flickered to the board.

"Oh why not?" She asked while writing in her notebook.

"Well its pretty much basketball 24/7 with him."

"That should be sixteen over pie." Gabriella whispered a little to loudly.

Ms. Richardson, the Chemistry teacher turned. "Yes, Ms. Montez?"

"Shouldn't the second equation read sixteen over pie?" She shyly raised her question. Behind her, Sharpay rolled her eyes.

"Sixteen over pie?" Ms. Richardson gave her a smile. "That's quite impossible." She walked over to her textbook to check. "I stand corrected." She erased her previous equation and corrected it. "Thank you Ms. Montez." And she carried on with her writings. But then she turned back to Gabriella with a look of approval on her face. "Oh! And welcome aboard."

Gabriella smiled in delight, pleased to know that she was welcomed again. But behind her, Sharpay's eyes widened with anger and jealousy. She could not believe it. She pulled back away from Gabriella, fuming in anger.

Meanwhile, Taylor saw this brief exchange and she had to say she was quite impressed with the new student. She was showing a lot of potential at the moment and Taylor could see she was a bright and kind person. Taylor smiled, admiring the new student already.

Just then, one of the most remarkable person entered in the classroom with a smile on her face. Ms. Richardson turned away from the board to face the new arrival. She beamed instantly when she saw the person. Even Taylor beamed as well.

"Briseis! Glad you could join us." Ms. Richardson said warmly. She had always loved Briseis. She was a good student, smart, intelligent, kind and a great leader. Everyone admired her.

"My apologies for being late. I was just in the Administrator's office just now. I had to run over some errands and we had a brief meeting with the Principal and other officers." And indeed she appeared to be quite flushed.

"It's quite all right Briseis. Please take a seat."

"Thank you." And Briseis quickly walked to the next seat she could find, of course without saying hi to Taylor. She sat next to Gabriella, not noticing she was right next to her. She quickly fixed herself and her books and started feverishly take down the notes Ms. Richardson had written on the board. Gabriella looked at Troy's sister in awe and in curiosity. She had no idea how the girl could do it all.

Finally Briseis looked up from her work, pleased with herself. She then turned to find a familiar face to her. And her eyes widened seeing clearly who it was.

"Gabriella!" Briseis exclaimed, finally recognizing the girl, not masking her surprise. "It couldn't be!"

Behind them, Sharpay watched in interest. She was curious. How in the world did the most powerful girl in school suddenly get to know such an insignificant one? She certainly was not liking this.

"Yes it is." Gabriella replied timidly.

"But how…?"

"My mom's company decided to transfer here to Albuquerque. So know I guess I study here." Gabriella briefly explained just as she had with Troy.

"My oh my! This is an unexpected surprise! Troy will be so happy to see you!" Briseis exclaimed genuinely, Gabriella blushed at the last statement. From behind them, both Taylor and Sharpay were both curious of the conversation between the two women.

"I have already seen him. He was in my Drama class. We ended up in detention. Ms. Darbus doesn't like cell phones in class."

Briseis was amused. Troy really liked this girl. He apparently got himself in detention for her. _Wow. _"Well that's Ms. Darbus. And how do you find East High?"

"It's wonderful. I feel really welcomed. It's nice to start anew in such a wonderful school. Everyone's been so nice and welcoming." Gabriella responded sincerely and Briseis took her word for it. She smiled.

"Glad you liked our school. I'm sure you will get to enjoy your stay here as time goes on."

Gabriella chuckled. "Yes I certainly hope so."

It seemed the perfect time for Taylor to insert herself in the conversation. "Gabriella, you do know you are talking to the most important person in the entire school? The student body president?"

Gabriella turned to Briseis instantly, shock apparent in her features. Briseis looked even more amused. She smiled. "Well, it's not only Troy who has the throne." She chuckled at her own words.

"I would rather Briseis than Troy any day." Taylor raised, expressing her deep contempt for the president's twin brother.

"I never understood why your group hates my brother so. He is just a 'lunk-head basketball jock' like you all think. I should know. I live with him." Briseis of course rushed in to defend her brother and Taylor blushed in embarrassment.

Just then, the bell rang and students immediately made their way out.

Briseis gently tugged at Gabriella's arm. "Come on, let's talk. I'd love to show you around as well."

Gabriella beamed at that and she obediently complied with the request.

"I'll see you Taylor. Later!" Briseis bid her friend goodbye, the awkward moment completely gone as if it never happened. Taylor just shook her head in amusement. No wonder everybody loved Briseis.

Without any of the three's knowledge, Sharpay was furious with what just took place before her. She stormed out of the room. She really did not like that Montez girl

_There's something freaky about her._ She thought to herself.

&&&&-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

After basketball practice, Troy began making his way to his next class. But before doing that, he saw the Audition Signups for the Winter Musicale again and his mind went rushing again. He wanted to signup badly. He even saw his own sister's name on the list by name. He weighed the pros and cons in a millisecond. And – the cons won. So before anyone else could see him and get suspicious, he rushed away from the bulletin board and went off to his class.

Little did he know, a watcher had seen him. And that watcher had grown suspicious just like any other person would. He grabbed his sister who was walking right across him and pulled her to the side. She looked annoyed by this action.

"Troy Bolton was looking at our Audition List." Ryan informed his sister.

"Again?" Sharpay was quite shocked at the information. "You know, he was hanging around that new girl and they were both looking at the list." Sharpay paused. "There's something freaky about her." She said, speaking her thoughts. "Where did you say she was from?" Her brother just looked…dumbstruck, as usual. And Sharpay had to roll her eyes and walked away to her new destination. Ryan, seeing she was going, ran after her.

The pair made their way to the library and Sharpay sat herself in front the computer. She wanted to research about this Montez girl, she wanted to know every single thing about her. What came across the screen after searching shocked both Sharpay and Ryan, seeing as how their eyes widened at everything that had just been popped out in front of them.

"Wow. An Einsteinette." Ryan said nodding, impressed. "But why do you think she's interested in our musical?" Clearly, the girl was in no position to even consider it. She was a math and science genius! She didn't belong in the world of the stage.

"I'm not sure that she is…and we needn't concern ourselves with amateurs." Sharpay couldn't get this girl. She really just didn't like her at all! She smirked at a sudden thought. "But there's no harm in making certain that Gabriella's welcomed into school activities that are…appropriate for her." She paused. "After all, she loves pie." Sharpay mocked.

Ryan smirked at the genius of his sister. After all, they had to eliminate every single competition or threat that came their way. No one was supposed to conquer the duo. And they had to make sure no one ever would. "But I got to hand it to her, she does have the capabilities to compete even with the almighty Briseis don't you think?"

Sharpay smirked at that. "Well all the more our dear math nerd would feel more welcome to our school don't you think? What better way could that be than feeling the warm welcome of the most powerful person in the entire student body?" And Sharpay thought she was a genius at the moment herself. She felt quite relieved knowing of the fact that this Montez girl wouldn't be a threat to her and Ryan.

She clicked the 'print' button. And out came the paper that would completely eliminate some worthless competition. Sharpay started to feel so much better already.

&&&&--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Detention

Ms. Darbus' Style

_"Gold! More Gold!"_

_"Paint! Paint! Let's go!"_

By this we mean Ms. Darbus' kind of detention was not like most teachers. Her detention came in the form of forcing students to help decorate/paint/design the set and the props in preparation for the much-awaited Winter Musicale. Apparently, Ms. Darbus delighted in seeing students so productive in her 'World of Theater'. Troy was idly painting the top part of a tree. He was lying there in such a position that would immediately identify him as lazy but he carried on painting, quite slowly as a matter of fact. He looked down seeing his friend Chad, who was hating every bit of it. Chad was never a lover of the theater arts. Ever! He glanced at Gabriella, wanting to see how she was doing. He smiled to himself when he saw her. She was painting the moon prop and seemed to be caught in her own thoughts. He wondered what she was thinking about.

"The answer is YES!" He heard Taylor Mckessie exclaim to Gabriella. He watched from above as he painted his tree. Sharpay and Ryan turned to Taylor shrilling declaration.

"Huh?" Gabriella asked confused.

"Our Scholastic Decathlon team has our first competition next week and there is certainly a spot for you. I already informed Briseis about it earlier." Taylor explained.

Gabriella's eyes widened at her statement. She glanced at Taylor's hand to find a printed school article of her winning a Math-lete contest 1st place before. She paled.

"Where did those come from?"

Taylor gave her a confused look. "Didn't you put them in my locker?"

Oblivious to them, Sharpay and Ryan looked at each other and smirked.

"Of course not."

"Oh. Well, we'd love to have you on our team. We meet almost everyday after school." Taylor informed. She could that Gabriella did not want to consider it. "Please?"

"I need to catch up on the curriculum here before I think about joining any clubs." Gabriella said confidently, her voice not as soft as it was just a little while ago. She really did not want to join another Math club and be its greatest nerd.

"Well what a perfect way to get caught up!" Sharpay interjected from out of nowhere. "Meeting with the smartest kids in school. What a generous offer Taylor!"

Taylor turned away, rolling her eyes at Sharpay's comments.

"So many new faces in detention today." Ms. Darbus popped up behind Gabriella's back referring the 'new faces' to her. "I hope you don't make a habit of it, but the Drama Club could always use an extra hand, like your Student Body President, always offering an extra hand whenever she has the chance." And she smiled to herself for a while at Briseis' thoughtfulness. She carried on. "And while we are working, let us probe the mounting evils of CELLPHONE."

Troy shook his head from the tree where he was now nailing some sort of a leaf. _This could be really interesting._

&&&----------------------------------------------------------------------

Basketball Practice

Same time with detention.

The Wildcats team of basketball hunks had just finished warming up and where now being called by their Coach, none other than the father of Troy and Briseis.

"Alright, saddle up! We've got 2 weeks till the big game!" He stated with much energy earning the loud roars of his team. Then he noticed something. "Where's Troy and Chad?"

He was met with silence.

"Don't make me ask again." His blood almost boiling to the top. He did not like it when people came missing during basketball practice without any excuse. Again he was met with silence.

"WHERE'S TROY AND CHAD!"

"Detention…" The Wildcats team murmured at last in unison.

And then his blood reached the top as he sighed heavily in anger and walked out the court to get the two. He was really angry at the moment.

Coach Bolton banged the gym doors in frustration. Just in time, Briseis was walking by and was able to catch her father walking, more like briskly walking.

"Daddy! Daddy!" Briseis called him and was at his side at the moment. She could now clearly see he was not in a good mood. "What's wrong Daddy?"

"It's that DARBUS again!" He exclaimed. "She put Chad and Troy in detention in DURING MY PRACTICE! OF ALL TIMES!" Briseis just walked silently beside her father as he ranted on, while trying to hide her smile and amusement. She tried her very best not to laugh. Her father and Ms. Darbus had always been the perfect example of cat and dog.

"So how's your studies? Got everything along fine?" Her father asked Briseis after he had took a breath as if nothing was bothering him at the moment.

Briseis just had to laugh at that.

"Oh Daddy, my silly silly Daddy you are quite the mood swinger today. Studies are fine as usual and everything's fine except for this little situation we're having here." She smiled brightly at him, replying sweetly. For a moment, Coach Bolton calmed down a bit, his feelings soothed for a while. Briseis always had such an effect on him. She gracefully hooked her arm with her father and continued beaming at him. These were the times Coach Bolton was extremely glad that his daughter had passed his way whenever he was feeling his most heated anger.

&&&-----------------------------------------------------------------

Meanwhile back in the theater, Chad was falling asleep inside the tree he was supposed to be working on because of Ms. Darbus' boring speech. Troy looked down silently laughing at his friend. He slowly let down the leaf with a really long string to wake up his sleeping friend but apparently that didn't work out right.

"…Perhaps the most heinous example of cell phone abuse is RINGING IN THE THEATER! What TEMERITY! The theater is a temple of ART." Ms. Darbus continuing the most boring of all speeches with much exaggeration. "A precious cornucopia of creative energy!"

"WHERE'S MY TEAM DARBUS!" Coach Bolton made his entrance in the theater and demanded the Drama teacher, his precious daughter walking right behind him now with an amused look on her face.

Troy immediately stood upright from his idle position, Chad had woken up at the sound of his voice and everyone had seemingly stopped working. This amused Briseis more. "What the heck are those two doing in a tree!"

"It's called 'Crime and Punishment' Bolton." Ms. Darbus attacked back at the hysteric coach. "Besides proximity to the arts is cleansing to the soul."

But he wouldn't have any of it. "We need to have a talk please. And you two in the gym… NOW!"

Troy and Chad immediately got out of their positions and ran as fast as they could. Briseis gave them a teasing and amusing look behind her father and they both just glared at her before running out.

&&&-------------------------------------------------------

the Principal's office

"If they have to paint sets for detention, they could do it tonight not during my practice!" Coach Bolton reasoned out to the Principal. Apparently this reached the highest of all the courts. It was truly an amusing sight. Briseis followed her father all the way back to the Principal's office. She was President and had privileges to going anywhere she wants. She stood behind them at the background just watching it all happen. _I should've brought along some popcorn with me. This is so much fun. _She thought, amusement all over her features.

"If these were theater performers and not athletes, would you seek special treatment?" Ms. Darbus threw back vehemently.

Briseis could see the Principal was torn between the two teachers. She really had to stifle her laugh for bursting out.

"Darbus, we are days away from our biggest game of the year!"

"And we, Bolton, are in amidst of our auditions for our winter musicale as well!" Coach Bolton just gave her a mocked appalling look, which seemed to have frustrated the Drama teacher more. "This school is more than young men in baggy shorts flinging balls for touchdowns!"

"Baskets." Coach Bolton exasperatedly corrected. "They shoot baskets."

Ms. Darbus just gave an icy glare in return.

And apparently the Principal had had enough! "Guys! You've been having this argument since the day you first started teaching here!" True that. Thought Briseis. And every time I get the luxury of watching them fight. Briseis smirked. "We are one school, one student body, one FACULTY! CAN WE NOT AGREE ON THAT!"

Briseis couldn't take it anymore, she really wanted to burst out laughing. Her eyes were already watering at the desire to laugh.

Bolton and Darbus just gave each other cold stares to end it all.

"So Coach, how's the team looking?" The Principal asked. "Troy got in all whipped into shape?"

And Coach Bolton flashed an arrogant smirk at Ms. Darbus. He has won the battle this time around.

And at that, Briseis finally burst out laughing so hard! All the more causing Ms. Darbus to lose it! Her father had to turn to her and give her an amused look. For now, he could handle it. But later he'd have to reprimand her a little.

Or maybe not.

He did after all win this round full blast.

And so the basketball practice that afternoon pushed through.

&&&------------------------------------------------------------------

Gabriella and Taylor made their way out the school after detention on their way home.

"We've never made it past the 1st round of the Scholastic Decathlon. You could be our answer prayer." Taylor tried again, hoping she could convinced the sweet girl.

"I'm going to focus on my studies this semester and help my mom get the house organized. Maybe next year." Once again, Gabriella declined politely.

"But-"

"What do you know about Troy Bolton?"

Taylor paused and mocked thinking. "Troy. Hmm. I wouldn't consider myself expert in that particular sub-species. However, unless you speak cheerleader, as in…" And Taylor submerged herself into a group of cheerleaders practicing and started screaming in an absolutely crazy way, "OH MY GOSH! ISN'T TROY BOLTON LIKE… THE HOTTIE SUPER BOT!" And all the cheerleaders agreed to that. They all melted at the very mention of his name after all.

She dragged Gabriella out of the circle of melting Troy-fanatics. "See what I mean?" And Gabriella was amused.

"I guess I don't know how to speak cheerleader." She timidly admitted.

"Which is why we exist in an alternate universe to Troy the basketball boy. I wouldn't say the same for his sister. She is after all our Student Body President." Taylor officially declared.

"Haven't you tried to get to know him?" Gabriella asked, being naïve as she was.

"Why don't you try get to know tomorrow when you have lunch with us." Taylor invited. "Unless you want to sit with the cheerleaders and discuss the importance of perfect nail buds."

"My nail buds are history." She shyly showed her nails to her newfound friend. Taylor did the same. They laughed together.

"Oh sister!"

Now this was the exact time, Gabriella really and truly felt welcomed to her new life.

First day wasn't so bad after all.

---------------------------------------------------------------

**a/n: **yup this is quite a long chapter. but i just wanted to get the small details over it. The more we finish with the Present time, the more we can get on with how these wonderful people will end up getting all the way back in Ancient Greece. I'm badly itching to write about how Briseis Bolton will get to meet the oh-so mighty Achilles. Last chapter was just an overview, a glimpse on the way I saw things fit to this story. gotta kill the past Briseis to make way for the reincarnated one. Ooh. and Patroclus is also reincarnated. Hmm.. wonder how Achilles will react to meeting him later on. P Things will get more exciting soon i promise this is just the start: Please READ and REVIEW thanks so much! ) whoops and sorry for getting the chapters all mixed up... P


	5. Chapter 4: Auditions

**A/N: **a thousand times sorry for the super late update…I had a lot in my hands recently but here it is! It's a longer chapter because I wanted a lot covered… hah. )

Chapter 4

It was late afternoon when balls were still heard bouncing all over the backyard at the Bolton's Residence. After basketball practice, Troy and his dad carried on shooting hoops at the backyard, for Troy to get completely whipped into shape just in time for the Championship game.

"I still don't understand this whole detention thing." Coach Bolton said to his son while practicing.

"It was my fault. Sorry Dad." Troy apologized breathlessly.

"Cross court." He commanded and his basketball son obeyed immediately. "You know Darbus will take any opportunity to bust my chops and that includes yours too."

But that warning didn't quite register in Troy's brain for his mind was elsewhere. "Hey dad," He started almost hesitantly. His father passed him the ball and Troy didn't pass it back but held it as he thought of his next words. "Did you ever think of trying something new, but were afraid of what your friends might think?"

"You mean like going left? You're doing fine. Come on." Apparently his dad wasn't registering what Troy was saying either. Troy made an immediate move to the left but then stopped. He wasn't quite fixed on giving up yet.

"Well…no." Troy breathed. "I mean, what if you want to try something new, something _really_ new and it's a total _disaster_ and all your friends laugh at you." Now his dad was really listening. He gave it some thought before he answered.

"Well then maybe they're not really your friends." Good answer. And that made Troy thinking. "That was my whole point about team today. You guys gotta look out for each other and you're the leader."

Wait. This was totally going the wrong way. "Dad, I'm not talking about –" But he was interrupted but his dad.

"There's going to be colleague scouts in our game next week Troy. You know how much scholarships are worth these days?"

Troy sighed and simply nodded. He gave up. "A lot."

His dad chuckled behind him. "Yeah. Focus, Troy. Come on."

And so their little practice game continued. And Troy didn't utter a single query in his mind for the rest of the afternoon.

&&&&&&&&&&

When Troy entered his room after practice, all sweaty and tired than usual, he was quite surprised to find his twin sister on his bedroom floor, looking over something he couldn't see. She seemed so transfixed into whatever she was doing; she didn't seem to hear her own brother come in.

"And what brings the most beautiful sister into the room of a basketball player filled with sweat…and a lot of sweat?" Troy started, breaking into his sister's thought.

Briseis was quite annoyed at the prospect of being startled from her work but when she looked up and saw Troy, her eyes softened at the sight of him. She chuckled softly.

"Oh nothing. I was just looking over some family albums you kept locked up in here. They're so many! I'm just walking down through memory lane and thinking about the things that happened in the past. So many memories! Time does fly so fast." She explained almost dreamily.

Troy peeked into what she was referring to and true enough, there lay photo albums sprawled in front of Briseis. He saw one opened in front of her lap and took a motion to look at it as well. Briseis made a little space so her brother could the album she was looking at as well. Troy smiled fondly at the pictures that lay before him, his mind slowly going down to memory lane with every picture he saw.

"Hey dear brother," Briseis called Troy's attention. He looked up. "Wish me luck tomorrow."

"For what?"

"The Winter Musicale auditions of course!" She gave him a look but then that immediately was replaced with a smile. "Even though, it's not the lead part, since I really can't go for that because I'm busy enough as it is, I just hope I get in for the role I want."

Troy was curious. "What role is that?"

"The Angel."

Troy smiled at that. "Well it does fit the description to whoever it is who'll be auditioning for that part." Briseis smiled at the compliment. "You'll get in. I've heard you sing a lot of times. Your voice does have the 'angelic' tinge in it."

"Very funny Troy." But nevertheless, she chuckled at the small joke. "And I've heard you sing only ONCE and that had to be in front of a live audience!" Suddenly, Briseis' eyes lit up at a thought and she quickly looked around herself for her cell phone. Troy wondered what she was doing. "Look!" And she showed Troy several pictures of him and Gabriella during their unexpected live performance during the Winter break.

"Wow…." Was all Troy could say.

"Yeah, I almost forgot to tell you about it. I'm sorry. But anyway as soon as I have the time for it, I'm going to print these pictures and include them in our photo albums, what do you think?"

"Could you double the copies for me please?"

Briseis smiled. He really liked Gabriella, she could see. "Of course. Anything for my brother finally in love. Don't even TRY to protest. It'll be our little secret."

Troy waved his hands up in resignation. Nothing gets past his sister.

A calm silence settled over them. It was Briseis who broke the silence this time.

"Why don't you audition?"

Troy looked up, startled. His face filled with confusion and his eyes held a little horror in them. Horror for the fact that, even if he hadn't spent all that much time with Briseis this day, she could still read past his mind like the back of her hand. He wondered for a moment how she knew.

"I saw your face when you sang with Gabriella that night. I'll never forget it. You seemed so happy and free doing something else other than basketball, basketball, basketball. And in that moment, you weren't afraid to show the world what you've really got. And I know you want to do it again. That's why I'm wondering why your name wasn't on that list when I signed up." Briseis explained, as if reading her brother's thoughts.

Troy was astounded. All day he had been looking for someone to understand his dilemma and then here came his sister who had no clue but at the same time had all the clues there was about him. He was so grateful to be blessed with a sister like her. But he sighed at her question and answered her dejectedly.

"I can't audition, you know that."

Briseis frowned, seeing her brother in such distress always upset her. "And why not?"

"Well…I do want to…try something new…it's just that what if all my friends laugh at me? Or what if everyone gets upset because basketball players don't exactly join musicals all of a sudden? What if it turns out to be a complete disaster?"

Now Briseis could see it. He was pressured. _Poor Troy. _She had to help him.

"Look Troy, if your friends laugh at you or can't understand why you would do such a thing then maybe they're not really the friends you thought they were."

"Yeah, Dad mentioned that as well." He sighed.

"And if you discover that because of what you did, move on bro. Do what you want. You're a free man and no one can stop you. If they laugh, so what? When you're on stage singing your heart out, they don't matter. Remember the feeling with Gabriella while singing? Did the people around you really matter as you sang?"

"At first…but then it just was me and Gabriella, as if the world became just the two of us."

"Exactly." Briseis was coming to a point. "And the same applies to your situation now. So what if people talk because things changed and you auditioned for something that's not basketball? Let them. But you do your own thing and you don't let those other people bother you. Because they too have their own yearnings to do something else that's new."

Troy was speechless. He was moved. Briseis proved her point well. No wonder she was Student Body President.

"Look at me, I may be in the politics and the studies but I make time for every single person in the school no matter what thing they do well. Everyone is always amazed on how I'm on the high grounds and yet I always stoop down lower to reach the people and try other things, for my sake as well. That, I say is a true leader and a person who can balanced everything well."

"I've always wondered how you could do so many things in such a carefree way." Troy voiced out.

"It's just balance. And I don't care what other people think. I serve and live the best of my life. There's no need to fear anything." Briseis explained.

And Troy saw a whole new light to his sister. She was so strong, as a leader and a person. She had the heart of an angel with compassion and understanding filling her with every person she meets in distress. Again, he was so blessed to have her as a sister.

"Thank you, Briseis. Believe me when I say I needed this." He hugged her then in much gratitude.

She smiled. "Do not be afraid dear brother." She pulled away from his embrace. "Now we must get to dinner. I'm cooking tonight, care to help?" And she got up eagerly with Troy following in pursuit.

"Sure thing." Troy responded with much eagerness.

"But first we must take a picture as to remember this day." And Briseis lifted her camera as she and Troy posed. A flash of light emanated from the camera as she clicked. They both looked at their selves with much approval.

"Now that is definitely going in the albums."

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

A new and beautiful day had begun. The sun shone brightly over East High as students made their way to their school for another day. The school bell rang to signal that classes were about to begin.

In Ms. Darbus' classroom, everyone was still trying to get settled in, all the while chatting their way amicably with others.

"Just something for you." Sharpay handed her gift to Ms. Darbus with a sweet smile on her face. Ms. Darbus received the gift with much gratitude. She was, after all, very fond of Sharpay for bringing the stage to the height of its current.

Sharpay seated herself in the front row, as everyone else who belonged to the morning drama class came in at the sound of the second bell.

Troy entered the classroom with the rest of his basketball teammates, expecting a brighter and new day. Before he sat down, he caught sight of Gabriella at the back of the room and they shared a look as she sat down on her chair.

Troy seemed to be mesmerized at the sight of her first thing in a morning and didn't quite catch himself. "Hi…" He mouthed shyly to Gabriella, but Ms. Darbus popped out of nowhere and he immediately sat down.

"Well," She started. "I expect we all learned our homeroom manners yesterday, people, correct? If not, we have some dressing rooms that need painting." But Troy's mind was elsewhere. She was here in the exact same room as him again and that thought amazed Troy over and over again. He liked the thought and he looked back her and gave her a charming genuine smile. His heart melted as she smiled back at him. _She looks so beautiful_. Troy thought almost dreamily. He turned back to the front before someone else caught him in his dreamlike state again.

"Now for a few announcements." Ms. Darbus continued with her speech. "This morning, during free period, will be your chance for the musicale auditions, both single and pairs." And Sharpay was quite delighted at the announcement as she gave her brother a proud look of anticipation and she clapped her hands in glee. Ms. Darbus continued, "I will be in the theatre until noon for those of you bold enough to extend the wingspan your creative spirit." She exclaimed as she threw her hands up dramatically.

At the announcement, Troy's mind was running again. Should he or should he not? He thought about his talk with Briseis the night before. Chad interrupted his thoughts.

"Time she should do back on the mother ship." Chad whispered teasingly. After all, he never really liked the whole drama, stage concept thing. Troy faked a laugh and his mind was in turmoil again.

&&&&&&&&

Troy was putting back his books in his locker, his mind still running.

"Yo, sup man?" Chad greeted as he passed by, carrying his basketball. They started to walk to together. "Hey so um, the whole team's going to be at the gym during free period. What would you wanna have us run?"

_Oh no._ "Um dude you know what, I can't make it." Troy instantly declined. "I uh… I gotta catch up with some homework." So it was a really lame lie, but he couldn't think of anything else.

Chad laughed; almost thinking it was a joke. Troy was acting funny today. "What? Hello! It's like the second day back; I'm not even behind the homework yet. And you know, I've been behind the homework since pre-school."

Troy faked a laugh again at Chad's little joke. "Ha ha ha. "That's hilarious." But then his face turned serious just as instantly as he laughed. "I'll catch ya later." And he ran off with one goal in mind.

"Homework?" Chad stared at Troy's retreating form, suspicion and curiosity filling him. "There's no way."

And he immediately made to follow his strange friend.

Troy knew Chad was following him so he thought fast on how to lead him out of track. He entered a classroom filled with strange, unknown people; luckily he knew them thanks to his sister. He greeted them and he knew Chad was right at the door focused on the sight he was seeing at the moment.

"What's he doing?" Chad whispered, completely curious and having no clue whatsoever. At that same moment, another friend of his greeted him and they had a little small talk till his friend had to go inside the classroom where Troy had entered.

When Chad looked back in, Troy had disappeared and he wondered where in the world he had gone to.

Meanwhile, Troy had managed to slip out through the other exit of the classroom he entered and now made his way past Chad. Troy mentally patted himself at the back for his cunningness. But the chase wasn't over because he still wasn't in the theatre. He walked as fast as he could he was almost running, which he did as he ran quickly down the stairs, unbeknownst to him that Chad had finally caught up with him and was at his tail. At least Chad thought it was Troy he saw, but the person was going to fast he wasn't so sure anymore. After all, lots of people were dressed in blue that day. He gave up the chase for his friend and tried looking for him elsewhere.

Troy decided to take the long way to the theatre, out the back of the faculty member's room where his dad almost caught sight of him, through the maintenance area where he was caught by a working person on duty.

"Shortcut." Troy explained briefly, sweat dripping all over him. He opened the door that led to another place of the school grounds. "Late for class." He added before he ran off on the way to the theatre.

&&&&&&

The Theatre

Troy was able to grabbed a rolling cleaning set from the janitor's place backstage and was using the mops to cover his face. He had to be completely discreet.

He was backstage as he heard voices of people entering the theatre. He left his cleaning set for a little while to hide behind the curtains to get a closer look. Ms. Darbus along with the rest of the people who were about to audition that day were coming in. He saw Ms. Darbus make her way up the stage and he hid himself further with the curtain so that he wouldn't be seen.

Ms. Darbus clapped her hands, signaling that she was about to make an important speech and that auditions were about to begin.

She held her arms dramatically to emphasize her speech. "This is where the expression of artist is realized," She began as she looked among the people auditioning. A small girl with glasses and a stack of papers in her hand walked to Ms. Darbus' side. "Where inner truth is revealed through the actor's journey, where..." Just then a ringing could be heard and Ms. Darbus' dropped her hands in frustration and yelled, "WAS THAT A CELLPHONE?"

Everybody in the theatre immediately checked their cell phones fearing the wrath of Ms. Darbus.

"No ma'am that was the morning bell." The small girl beside her confirmed. Everybody relaxed visibly.

"Ah," Ms. Darbus continued. "Those wishing to audition must understand that time is of the essence. We have many roles to cast and final callbacks will be next week." As Ms. Darbus was making her announcements, Troy had managed to find his way at the very end of the theatre with his cleaning set unnoticed, so now he could see the stage and watch the auditions go on. He bent down so he could see clearly what was going on, all ears on Ms. Darbus as she continued, "First you will have to sing a few bars and I will give you a sense of whether or not, the theatre is your calling. Better to hear it from me now than from your friends later. Our composer, Kelsie Neilson," She introduced dramatically to the small girl standing next to her who bowed at the formal introductions then made her way to the piano. "will accompany you and be available for rehearsals prior to callbacks. Shall we?" Ms. Darbus raised her hands up to signal formally the start of the auditions.

&&&&&&&

The Auditions

Audition #1 

Kelsie started playing the song to be sung by the person auditioning._ Its hard to BELIEVE that I couldn't SEE that you were always right BESIDE ME!_ This girl was way off key and seemed to be overactive to song being played softly. It didn't quite fit… right…She seemed to be yelling the words instead of singing them and Sharpay's eyes widened at the horror of it. _This FEELING'S LIKE NO OTHER. I WANT YOU TO KNOW…_ Kelsie at her piano was nodding her head, motioning her to go on… but it seemed the girl didn't know the next lines to the song.

Ms. Darbus made some weird sound. "Aha. Yes…" She started politely. "Thank you."

Clearly this girl was not in. "NEXT!"

Audition #2 

This time it was guy in very weird, tacky suit with a red tie. The music began and he began singing…more like speaking the lyrics. He didn't offer any dramatic motions, just stood there, like a frozen statue that could speak.

_It's hard to believe …_He brought his left hand up for the words were written there. _That I couldn't…SNEEZE…see…_ He corrected himself immediately. But Ryan and Sharpay's mouths dropped at the very thought of insulting a theatre piece! _…That you were always right there…next to…beside me… _Ms. Darbus was drinking her coffee when she heard the last lines being said and she motioned with her hand for him to stop. But he didn't seem to get it.

"Allan, I admire your plot…As to your singing…" Ms. Darbus clearly had no idea how else to put it. "…That's a wonderful tie you're wearing. NEXT!"

_Audition #3_

This next girl was leaning on the piano as if she was meeting the boy of her dreams not singing for an audition. Her voice was weird too and most likely not pleasant to the ears. _It's hard to believe…that I couldn't see… _She gave a wink to Ms. Darbus and Ms. Darbus returned it with mock and horror on her face. Kelsie kept her head down because she did not want to see the slutty girl perform. _This feelings like no other…I want you to know…_ And she winked again as if she was flirting with the next hot guy from afar.

"Ahh!" Ms. Darbus voiced out. "Stop."

_Audition #4_

Next was a girl who was made to live a life in opera. No one could understand the lyrics she was singing for her voice was very much like the people in the opera… _So lonely befoorrrree… I finally founddd… What I've been looking…forrrrrr… _And she seemed to hold that note forever. Kelsie had stopped playing, Ms. Darbus put her hands over her ears, Sharpay and Ryan both made a move that symbolized that their ears couldn't stand it anymore.

"Ohh…Cyndra." Ms. Darbus finally breathed when she finished the note. "What…COURAGE…to pursue a note that is not been accessed in the natural world. Bravo." She corrected herself. "Um…Brava!" And Cyndra was almost glowing with pride until… "Perhaps the SPRING musicale." And her smile instantly turned into a frown.

"Humph."

_Audition #5_

The music played but no one sang. This guy in tights and a tight fitted shirt with ballet shoes on, chassed his way in the stage and made 3 pirouettes on the spot and a couple of spinning turns and jumps, which everyone was all wondering why a dancer was at a singing musicale auditions, even the music had stopped. The guy gracefully made his way on the other side of the backstage wing and suddenly, they could hear things crashing loudly backstage.

It seemed he didn't make it in.

_Audition #6_

Next was a couple, dressed in weird gothic clothes and seemed to be chanting the lyrics instead of singing them. While chanting, they were doing all sorts of haunting interpretative dance. _Its hard to believe… _the girl started. (_To believe)…_ her partner echoed in a deep, haunting voice. _That I could not see… (Couldn't see) … That you were right beside me… (beside me) _Kelsie's eyes widened at the performance in front of her, while Ms. Darbus dropped her pen in utter shock. The horror of it all was giving her a headache. Sharpay glanced at her brother and he seemed to be transfixed at the sight on stage. _Thought I was alone… (alone)…with NO one to hold…(to hold)… that you were right beside me… (beside me)…_ Then the pair started rolling all over the stage and crawling. Kelsie stopped playing to see what they were crawling about.

"Well, that was just…" Ms. Darbus almost couldn't speak. "…VERY Disturbing! Go see a counselor!" She shut her eyes and checked the pair off the list. "Ugh…NEXT!"

Meanwhile Troy was still watching at the back, his heart pounding all throughout that time. He was so focused at the stage, he didn't realize Gabriella was tiptoeing her way into the theatre. She caught sight of him and startled him out of his thoughts, making him jump a bit.

"Hey!" She greeted, surprised that Troy was in the theatre at the moment. He seemed to be shocked at being caught by the girl of his dreams. His heart pounded some more. "So you decided to sign up for something?" She asked him, indicating the auditions.

But Troy couldn't tell her yet why he came. He wasn't even sure why he came either. "Um…No…You?"

"No…" Gabriella replied in a low whisper, Troy almost didn't hear her. "Um…why are you hiding behind a mop?"

Troy gave a dry laugh, embarrassed and pushed the cleaning set behind him away from him. He couldn't give her an answer. He was almost ashamed. Gabriella nodded in understanding, "Your friends don't know you're here, right?" She questioned softly.

Well here was another person who could read him like the back of her hand. He briefly wondered if Gabriella and Briseis were both related in their past lives.

"Right." Was all he could say. Gabriella said nothing more and just watched the ongoing auditions.

_Audition #7 or was it 8? Oh whatever… because some others went before this one._

The girl opened her mouth to sing but no sound came out for she froze literally onstage.

Ms. Darbus had enough. Her headache was growing from these auditions. "Thank you." She waved her hand signaling the person to get off the stage. "NEXT."

And the girl ran off stage.

"Um…Ms. Darbus is a little… harsh…" Troy explained to Gabriella, who looked up at him. She saw the look of fear on his face.

"The Wildcat Superstar is…afraid?"

Troy's eyes widened at that. _Oh no most certainly not! _Troy thought. Though his face showed otherwise. "No, no…not afraid…no…just a bit…scared." What was the point hiding the truth right?

"Me too." Gabriella admitted as well. "Usually."

"And for the role of the ANGEL, we only have one person signed up. One person who was bold enough to take such a small yet important role. Briseis!" And finally Troy's sister was called. Gabriella looked at Troy in shock, surprised his sister was auditioning. They both moved to the audience seats, anticipating Briseis' performance. Even Ryan and Sharpay were eager to see what their President has got.

_Audition #9_

Briseis walked up the stage, her heart pounding as well. She was nervous but she tried not to let the audience see it. She had to be strong again. She could do this.

Kelsie was busy for a moment trying to find the piece for the Angel and at last she was able to find it. She gave both herself and Briseis a minute to compose themselves and then she began playing the song.

The melody was obviously different from the other song everyone else was suppose to sing. It was soft, beautifully made, a song made for angels to sing and Briseis was about to try her shot at it. _Here we go_ Briseis thought, ready for the inevitable. She began to sing.

_There's a song that's inside of my soul…_Her voice was like that of an angel and everyone watching sat transfixed at her voice. Sharpay's mouth dropped again, realizing that if Briseis wasn't the President, she would've beaten both her and Ryan without breaking a sweat. _It's the one that I've tried to write over and over again…I'm awake in the infinite cold…But you sing to over…and over and over again…_

Gabriella watched as Troy's sister sang the most beautiful notes she'd ever heard and she looked up with admiration at the woman singing so beautifully, enthralling everyone into a spell with each note she sang with grace_. So I lay my head back down…and I lift my hands and pray to be only yours, I pray to be only yours… I know now you're my only hope…_ Briseis' confidence was building in her with every word she sang. She briefly remembered her conversation with Troy last night, and then the audience didn't matter anymore as she sang passionately with each note. _Sing to me the song of the stars…of your galaxy dancing…and laughing and laughing again…When it feels like my dreams are so far…Sing to me of the plans that you have for my over again. _Ms. Darbus didn't want to stop one of her most favorite students, in her mind, Briseis was in, her voice perfectly fit to be the Angel that would inspire Arnold and lead him back to Minnie. Her voice was already able to inspire those around her. And that was true art in theatre to be able to reach out to the people and Briseis was doing perfectly well at that. _So I lay my head back down…and I lift my hands and pray to be only yours…I pray to be only yours…I know now…you're my only hope…_ Briseis moved around the stage now, she felt like she owned as she sang, she was in control of the stage at the moment and she liked the feeling very much. _I give you my destiny…I'm giving you all of me…I want your symphony…singing in all that I am…at the top of my lungs…. I'm giving it back…. _An applause for her was given as she reached the climax of the song, as she hit the highest note with much perfection. But Briseis could hear only the slightest of it, for none of them mattered. It was just her, the stage, the music and the song. That was what mattered. _So I lay my head back down… And I lift my hands and pray…to be only yours…I pray to be only yours…I pray to be only yours…I know now you're my only hope…_The song was nearly ending and Kelsie was almost sad to end it because Briseis was the best audition for that day and she made it simply beautiful, no matter how small the part, the Angel was the most important, the essence of the story. _Mmm…mmm…woooo..ooooh…_

Briseis ended and she was received with another round of applause from the audience. She curtsied in gratitude, happy she had done well and hoping she would get the part.

"Oh yes…" Ms. Darbus clapped her hands warmly. "Beautiful. Splendid. Wonderful. Perfect. You're in Briseis, thank you for gracing us with your presence. You're in for callbacks next week. Not that I can see anyone else willing to compete with you. Kelsie work with her." Kelsie nodded with delight.

Briseis simply smiled at the compliment, swelling with happiness inside. "Thank you Ms. Darbus." And she then walked off the stage.

At the back, Troy was beaming with pride at his sister. He was so proud of her, it brought tears to his eyes but he held them back. It was the most beautiful song he'd ever heard her sing and he was just so happy for her that she made it. He was her no.1 fan just as she was with him.

"That was amazing." Gabriella said beside him.

"Yeah…I'm so proud of her." And Troy had to bend down to wipe away the tears that were about to fall out, he didn't want Gabriella to see him cry. He coughed a little, doing everything to suppress the tears.

Gabriella smiled at him. The bond of brother and sister was so evident with Troy and Briseis. She could see now how much Troy really loved his sister and that if he wasn't that pressured so much, he would be able to express his feelings completely. She saw how Troy tried to stop the tears, and she totally saw Troy in a whole new light now, he was not how the others viewed him. It seemed only she and of course Briseis saw the true Troy.

_Audition #10_

Auditions continued. "And for the lead roles of Minnie and Arnold, we have only one couple signed up: Sharpay and Ryan. I think it might be useful for you to follow in Briseis' footsteps and continue to give us a sense of why we gather in this hollowed hall." Sharpay and Ryan stood up proudly from where they sat and she motioned to Ryan that she must walk first, Ryan made way for her while he rolled his eyes.

Kelsie was alarmed at the preparations being made on stage and so she stood up and asked Ryan what was going on.

"Oh we had our rehearsal pianist do an arrangement." Ryan replied simply.

"Oh…" Was all Kelsie could say. She slumped back at her seat by the piano, feeling as if she was slapped on the face by the complete disrespect and insignificance Ryan and Sharpay brought upon her.

Sharpay stood in the middle of the stage and snapped her hands, which signaled that the curtains should be brought down. The curtains shut and Sharpay and Ryan turned, releasing their "nervousness" for a moment until Sharpay signaled they stop. She paused then signaled "Go!" The music played an upbeat tune, very different from the original version Kelsie made, their hands snapping to the introduction of the song then their microphones being given to them. The curtains lifted and out came Sharpay and Ryan. Ms. Darbus was very much delighted already at their performance as soon as the music began.

Ryan started, _Its hard to believe that I couldn't see. _Then they came in together, making a lot of dramatic actions that showed in their faces and bodies. _You were always there beside me. Thought I was alone, with no one to hold…but you were always right beside me. _Sharpay struck a flashy, jazz pose and sung her part. _This feeling's like no other. _Shift position. _I want you to know… _And they swayed to the music and Kelsie thought it was all-wrong. It didn't seem to match the thing that she thought of. Again she felt slapped on the face. _I'd never had someone that knows me like you do, the way you do… _They pointed to each other to emphasize their point. _I'd never had someone as good for me as you…no one like you…So lonely before…I finally found…What I've been looking for…_And they posed and danced again and then Sharpay did a little tap dance at the instrumental part before she sang again. _So good to be seen, so good to be heard… _Then they both sang, _don't have to say a word…_ It was Ryan's part now. _So long I was lost, so good to be found, I'm loving having you around… _And they posed again. And Ryan hit the high notes. _This feeling's like no other… _Both of them again, _I want you to know…_ And they moved across the stage. _I'd never had someone that knows me like you do, the way you do…_Switch direction. _I'd never had someone as good for me as you, no one like you… _And since they didn't see where they were going, they hit each other but that didn't stop them. They made up for their mistake and posed dramatically again. _So lonely before I finally found…what I've been looking for… Do-dodo do…Do-dodo do-dodo…Oh…woo…ohohoh…Do-dodo do…Do-dodo do-dodo…Oh…woo…ohohoh…_

And finally the song ended at that, with their grand slam finale pose. "I told you not to do the jazz chorus." Sharpay whispered to Ryan in their pose.

"It's a crowd favorite, everybody loves a good jazz chorus." Sharpay glared at Kelsie and everyone else, and they automatically applauded for them, as if they were commanded to do so. Sharpay curtsied as Ryan bowed proudly. And that seemed to end the auditions for no one will ever dare to compete against the dynamic duo.

"Well," Ms. Darbus started as she stood up. "Are there any last-minute sign ups?" Ms. Darbus asked the theatre.

Troy and Gabriella slowly tried to tiptoe their way out. They could still hear Ryan's voice on stage. He was speaking to a girl who didn't make it in the musicale.

"Don't be discouraged, the theatre club needs more just singers, it needs fans too. Buy tickets!" And he pushed her away to her own misery.

Kelsie quickly made her way to Sharpay. "Oh actually," Sharpay turned to the little composer. "If you do the part with that particular song, I imagined it much slower –" But she was interrupted rudely by the diva.

"_If we do the part?_" Sharpay repeated the composer's words. Her anger was boiling up. She laughed dryly at the very thought of it. "Kelsie, my sod-off some time." She gave her a pat on the shoulder. "I've been in _seventeen _school productions. And how many times have your compositions been selected?"

Kelsie slowly cowered. "This would be the first…"

"Which tells us what…?"

Kelsie didn't know. She was frightened of Sharpay right now. "I…need to write you more solos?"

"No!" And Sharpay towered over the little composer, walking in an intimidating way, making Kelsie walk back in fright. "It tells us that you do not offer direction, suggestion or commentary. And you should be thankful that me and Ryan are here to lift your music out of its current obscurity. ARE WE CLEAR?" Sharpay barked the last note at Kelsie who fell back at her own piano chair.

"Yes Ma'am!" She yelped in fright. "I mean Sharpay…"

Sharpay smiled icily, satisfied at her answer. She brought her microphone up. "Nice talking to you." And she walked away proudly. And Kelsie felt more insignificant than ever.

"Any last minute sign-ups?" Ms. Darbus continued asking. No one responded. "No? Good. Done." And she turned off her lamp light and got her bag, glad things were finally over.

"We should go…" Troy whispered to Gabriella at the back. They were still stuck behind the wall.

And then all of a sudden…

"I'd like to audition, Ms. Darbus!" Gabriella showed herself from behind the wall and exclaimed loudly. Troy's eyes widened at her sudden move and his mind was in turmoil once again. He couldn't believe Gabriella just did that!

"Time limit means something in the world of theatre young lady. The individual auditions are long, long over. And there is simply no other pairs." Ms. Darbus rejected Gabriella immediately.

"I'll sing with her."

And Troy showed himself too from behind the wall and Ms. Darbus was more or less surprised to see the young athlete at the 'hollowed halls of creativity.'

"Troy Bolton…" Ms. Darbus was interested in this. "Where is your sports posy or whatever its called?"

"Team." Troy replied with slight tone in his voice. "But I'm here alone…Actually, I'm here to sing with her." He glanced at Gabriella.

"Yes…well… We take these shows very seriously here at East High." And Troy knew the rejection was coming up and he felt the tears welling up again but forced it down, he saw as Gabriella stood still, knowing too that the rejection was coming up. If he couldn't sing for himself then he had to let at least Gabriella sing. She wanted this more than he did, he could see now. "I called for the pairs audition and you didn't respond. Free period is now over." And having said that, Ms. Darbus continued on her way.

"She has an amazing voice." Troy continued to fight for Gabriella's sake, but to no use. It was weak and once Ms. Darbus made up her mind, it was forever made up.

"Perhaps the NEXT musicale." And she was out before they knew it. For once, Troy cursed himself. If only he wasn't that scared, then Gabriella wouldn't have that look of downcast on her face right now. But Gabriella caught him looking and told him with her eyes it was alright.

Back on stage, Kelsie was the last to leave as she was gathering her papers. She was also so very downcast that she tripped on the piano chair and her papers flew all over the stage while she fell splat down.

Kelsie wanted to cry more than anything at the moment, she had had a very horrible day today and now this. Gabriella and Troy saw the little commotion onstage and rushed in to help the poor little composer. Troy was first onstage and immediately started gathering the papers filled with musical notes while Gabriella followed pursuit. Kelsie looked up to see the Wildcat Superstar right before her and she felt more embarrassed than ever. What was Troy Bolton even doing in here? Kelsie thought.

"So you're a composer?" Troy asked kindly as he saw each sheet he picked up filled with musical notes and lyrics. Kelsie's face reddened in embarrassment and shock that all she could do was simply nod. "You wrote the song Ryan and Sharpay just sang?" Again she simply nodded. "And the song my sister Briseis sang?" Another nod. There was a slight paused as each party busied themselves with picked up the musical sheets. Troy handed Kelsie the sheets. "And the entire show?" Another nod. "Well that's really cool." Troy outstretched his hand for the composer, being the gentleman he was. Kelsie looked up and was shocked that someone was treating her with such kindness. And that someone was none other than Troy Bolton! "I can't wait till the rest of the show." Troy continued, while bringing Kelsie up to her feet.

"So why are you so afraid of Ryan and Sharpay?" Troy asked. "I mean it is your show."

Finally Kelsie spoke. "It is?"

"Isn't the composer of the show, kind of like the playmaker in basketball?"

"Playmaker?" Kelsie didn't seem to get it.

"Yeah. You know the one who makes everyone else look good. I mean without you, there's no show. You're the playmaker, Kelsie." Troy said with much assurance.

"I am?"

Both Troy and Gabriella nodded encouragingly.

"Do you wanna hear how the duet is supposed to sound?" And Kelsie made her way to the piano with Troy and Gabriella following. She lay the piece in front of them and began to play. Both Troy and Gabriella were both amazed at the beauty of the music Kelsie produced. It wasn't like Ryan and Sharpay's version. It was slow, peaceful and beautiful. Then she silently signaled Troy to sing the first part.

_Its hard to believe…that I couldn't see…you were always there beside me…_ And there he was singing again like he did back in New Year's Eve and he felt good about it. Gabriella sung the next part. _Thought I was alone, with no one to hold…_ And then the both of them sung together. _But you were always there beside me…This feeling's like no other…I want you to know…_And once again their voices sung in harmony. Together they were perfect. They keep glancing and looking at each other as they sang, both savouring the feeling of just this peaceful singing together. _That I've never had someone that knows like me you do…the way you do…and I've never had someone as good for me as you…No one like you…so lonely before …. I finally found… What I've been looking for… _It was the most amazing feeling they've ever felt. The song seemed to mesh perfectly with them, not just through their voices but their lives. They seemed to have spoken their feelings through song and they loved it. It was a wondrous feeling. _Mmm-hmmm…woo… _Gabriella ended the song beautifully as well. And Kelsie wished more than anything that they be the ones to replace Sharpay and Ryan. They were perfect.

"Wow. That's nice." It was all Troy managed to say.

Suddenly…

"Bolton, Montez!" Ms. Darbus voiced filled the theatre out of nowhere. The trio onstage turned. "You have a callback. Kelsie give them the duet from the second act. Work on it with them."

Kelsie was so happy! Wishes do come true! She was more than ecstatic. Meanwhile, Troy looked back at Ms. Darbus and she gave him a final look other than contempt and walked out again.

"If you guys wanna rehearse I'm usually here during free period and after school even sometimes during Biology class…you can come and rehearse with me anytime." Kelsie talked quickly as she handed the new pair their copies of the song. "You can come to my house during breakfast, I have a piano, we could rehearse there, after school, before school, whatever works…after basketball class! And we could this wrapped up so…"

But Troy wasn't paying any attention anymore. Everything was happening so fast, it took him awhile to let it register in his mind. He looked at the musical sheets Kelsie now handed to him and ran through them…His mind was messed up again. Now he was in, how would the rest of the world take it in?

"What?"


	6. Chapter 5: As the Rain Fall

**A/N: **goodness I'm extremely sorry for the super duper late update. My laptop broke down, hence the very long wait… :p

Chapter 5

It was raining that evening in Albuquerque and Briseis Bolton was sitting by her window, watching the raindrops fall. She loved watching the rain like this. It gave her time to think and be at peace for a few moments. She thought about what Troy had just told her earlier, about his "supposed" audition and how he and Gabriella had managed to make it to callbacks. She smiled, thinking of how proud she was of her twin brother. Her thoughts drifted to Sharpay, the Ice Princess slash Drama Queen and couldn't help but think what her face would look like when she saw the list. Briseis would definitely go early to school the next day as to not miss Sharpay's reaction to the whole situation.

She looked up to the sky, dark clouds filling her eyes. She watched, awed and amazed as the rain fell.

_The angels are crying again tonight. _Briseis thought and her heart felt a slight pain at that thought. She was a firm believer in such things. Angels, the cross, God, all of it. Her faith had always given her the hope and the light even amidst the darkness and she knew it wouldn't let her down. Whenever she'd have her darkest moments, the light would always find a way to flow down her soul and give her the calm and peace she would need. That was faith and the simple miracles working in her.

She didn't hear the door open and was just startled when someone gave her a peck on the cheek.

She looked up to see her dear brother, Troy, carrying two hot mugs with warm cocoa in it. He handed her mug to her and sat across her.

"Looking out at the rain again?"

Briseis smiled softly as she drank her cocoa and simply nodded.

They seemed to be talking in their minds, with an instant understanding dawning on them. It was always like this. As twins, they've always had this sort of connection with each other. They've talked about it at times and agreed that every other couple of twins in the world probably had the same connection. Though they knew deep down in them that theirs was special, strong and deep.

They sat in silence, drinking from their mugs and looking out their window as the rain fell, letting the peace and calm flow down their souls once more.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

In another lifetime rain fell that evening in the great City of Pythia. The mighty blond warrior Achilles leaned his elbows on the railings of his window and watched as raindrops fell from the sky. He had grown to love watching the rain like this. _She_ had taught him how to love it. It gave him time to think and be at peace for a few moments. He thought about the events earlier that evening. Odysseus had come to visit him to discuss some political affairs and some…personal affairs. The great king had come to ask him if the rumours were true. If he would marry the daughter of the new King Ieneus of Sparta as to form a stronger bond between the two nations.

Achilles gave it a moment and chuckled lightly. "You have never believed in rumours, my old friend."

"So you will not marry the King's daughter?"

"I am already married and therefore cannot be married to another." Achilles declared. "She may not live to this day but I will not betray her heart and soul by marrying another, even if it does seal a treaty." And then he murmured softly that Odysseus almost didn't hear it.

"She is much more important than any great treaty forged."

The old king looked at his friend for a long moment and nodded in understanding. Achilles would always be loyal to those who he deemed worthy. And apparently, his Trojan princess had touched him in more ways Odysseus knew possible.

Achilles sighed, his mind coming back to the present. He looked up at the sky, dark clouds filling his eyes. He watched, awed and amazed as the rain fell.

_The angels are crying again tonight. _She would say if she were here now. And Achilles smiled at her words, remembering them forever. He let his mind drift off to another memory of not long ago, a memory of rain pouring down on the grounds like this…

_The continuous war had greatly angered the gods and so they gathered their forces and punished the people with rain overflowing. The waves of the Trojan beach clashed violently in the sea, the Greeks whose tents were nearby these waves feared the wrath of Poseidon. Agamemnon, however, waved the storm in his most arrogant way saying that the gods curse the Trojans and that this was nothing, making the Greek men fear for their lives even more. They did not wish to anger the gods even further. Achilles wished desperately for the "meeting" to be adjourned for he did not wish to hear the words of the pig of a king in a weather like this. _

_At last, Agamemnon grew tired of speaking absolute blasphemy and dismissed the kings and leaders. Achilles rushed to his tent even before the other kings could stand up and he opened his flaps to see the most beautiful sight he laid his eyes upon._

_Briseis._

_She was breathtaking even if she didn't try. Achilles wondered what would happen if she did, for he knew not what his heart would do at the sight of her in her most high. _

_Tonight they didn't make love, for they thought it was quite inappropriate at a weather like this. Instead they sat together in silence, listening to the rain and Poseidon expressing his anger and distain in the sea. _

"_I hate the rain." _

_The silence was broken by Achilles' declaration and Briseis turned to him, surprised and startled. _

"_Why?" She had to ask._

_Achilles stared at her for a moment, seeing the challenge and curiosity in her eyes. He had to prevent himself for laughing out loud. No other women would even dare give him the look she gave now, for fear he would lash out on them. _

_But Briseis was different. _

"_It is annoying. And horrible. And melancholy. And because of it, the rain can have the power to take away many lives."_

_She did not flinch at his last statement, instead continued to look at him head-on. Achilles smiled inside. It was indeed an impossible task to break the Princess. She hardly was afraid of anything. Even when death was at her door, she was not afraid. And he deeply admired and respected her for her strength. _

"_I beg to differ." She finally spoke._

_Another challenge. Achilles gave her a look to signal to go on, the challenge back in his eyes, daring her to oppose to him, to say something that will make him waver._

"_The rain is beautiful in its own way." _

_Well that definitely made him waver. Challenging eyes quickly replaced with those curious ones. "Why do you say so?"_

"_The angels are crying again tonight." She did not answer his question and he was left more baffled than ever._

"_Angels?" Achilles paused. "You, a priestess to the gods, who worships them with all your might, speaks of angels when they do not exist? What are those anyway?" _

_He was provoking her but she remained as calm and serene as she answered._

"_Angels are guardians. Guardians we cannot see but feel. If you concentrate enough, you will be able to be completely absorbed in their light and they will guide you. They give you the flicker of light and hope even amidst all the darkness around."_

_To say that Achilles was shocked beyond words was an understatement. He had never expected her to give such an answer or explanation to him. _

"_Is that taught to you in the temple?"_

"_No." Her answer puzzled him more and she saw it in his eyes. "My mother taught it to me when I was young. And from then on, I believed it with all my heart. I still believe. Even now." _

"_What has this got to do with your gods?" _

"_Nothing." She simply answered. "It is just faith."_

"_Faith?"_

_Briseis nodded. "Faith and the simple miracles around you."_

_Achilles could not challenge her to this belief as he did with their talk about the gods for he knew nothing about it. He knew nothing about angels. And all he could was look at her with more curiosity and ask questions._

"_Have you ever experienced this faith? These simple miracles you say that are around you?"_

_Briseis paused and gave it a thought. "Yes. I have" She finally replied with confidence. "Whenever I am in my darkest moments, the light would always find a way to flow down my soul and give me the peace and serenity I need. That is faith and simple miracles flowing around me. Not all people find such serenity."_

"_Yes. I know." He knew her words ring true. He was one of those people who could never find peace and serenity simply because he was chained to a lifetime of war. With war, there can never be peace. But this woman, this Trojan princess, the supposed enemy had dared prove him otherwise. Even amongst the storm, amongst death, she would remain calm, serene and find peace. Her strong faith has made her come so far and his admiration and respect for her grew that very instant. _

"_If I didn't have faith, I wouldn't have lasted this long." Briseis stated, her chocolate eyes boring into the very soul of the mighty warrior._

"_How do you do it?" Achilles suddenly spoke up after awhile. "In this war, how did you find the light? Your faith? Your hope? How do you calm your soul even amidst the storm? How, Briseis, priestess of Apollo, how?"_

"_You."_

_She smiled at him, making his heart ache at the sight. "You are the light that has given me the hope in the darkness." She brought her hand to his face and caressed it gently. "I know you will protect me and guide me, simply because you love me. I believe in that love and it gives me the strength to face more trials. You're my angel."_

_And that did it. That completely broke down the walls of the warrior and he was speechless at her declaration. His heart burst free, beating madly in his chest and he couldn't stop it. He saw it. The light she was talking about. It was radiating all around her, glowing all over and he saw the miracle with his own blue eyes. He couldn't help but wonder if she had been mistaken. If the angel was really her instead of him. He was no angel. _

_He kissed her suddenly, with all the love and passion he had in him. He was in love with this Trojan princess, this firm believer of faith, the gods and everything. He would never find himself falling in love with someone else…_

Achilles drifted from the memory, coming back to reality where she did not exist anymore and yet she did. He felt it in the rain, in the wind, in his heart, mind and soul. He felt her everywhere. Even if he could not see her, he felt her. So strongly. And he wondered if maybe this was the simple miracle she was referring to. The faith that she held onto even in her last moments of breathing.

She had been wrong back then. He really was no angel. It had been her all along. Even until now. He knew and believed that she carried on guiding him and protect him till his last moment. And because of that, he will live.

For her.

He will live.

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The rain did not stop pouring that night in Albuquerque. With each hour, the rain grew heavier and even though it was a great storm that night, the people in the town were able to sleep in their beds peacefully, making the night pass away quickly because they knew a bright new day would rise up when morning came.

But in the sleeping town, they did not realize that around 4 people were still quite wide awake, hidden at the bottom of a basement under the school.

Priscilla Nevalo was seated in a quite comfortable lounge chair, watching with great impatience, as her men companions were doing the finishing touches of her masterpiece.

_Finally. _She thought with a madness and a twisted thrill. _Finally my plan will finally come to motion. At LAST. They will be gone forever and I will be the Queen._

"It almost coming through." One of the men, Davis Gregory said, assuring her that it will be all set by tomorrow.

"Good." She replied her menacing tone, filled with lust for power.

After 30 minutes of wires and screws and fixing a few more necessary things. Davis approached the raven haired beauty. He took her palm and kissed it, kneeling down before.

"Ms. Priscilla, it is done."

She smirked, in the darkest way possible and though she may be beautiful, her black heart made her scary and quite the monster she really was.

She stood up from her seat, letting Davis guide her and went on to check if it was really done. If it was really finished. Another man, Colin, with dark and lustful eyes made way for her and she ignored the other man whimpering at the side. She touched the machine, caressing it gently and with great care as if it would break. She loved the feeling of the metal under her skin. It gave her more power. It assured her that she will be getting everything she wanted with one push of the button.

"We execute the plan tomorrow."

The whimpering man at the side rushed forward, fear written all over his eyes. "Ms. Priscilla, your Highnessness, I don't think we should be doing this anymore. It could be dangerous and it could change all of history. Altering time is very dangerous. Please…" He begged her to reconsider.

Priscilla had had enough of his banter. She decided that he could be a threat to this whole plan after all. She turned to look at the whimpering man, Peter. "Peter…" she coaxed. "Peter. Peter. Peter." She drew her hand to his face and he shuddered violently. Priscilla's eyes darkened that instant and Peter feared for his life more than ever now. She put her hand on his chest and started pushing him gently. "You. Will. NOT. Interfere. With. Our. Plan." She said menacingly. Peter's back felt the cold hard wall but it felt like she kept advancing him as she spoke.

"We all have worked so hard for this day. For our little machine to be finally finished. For our plans to finally take place." The men behind her sneered. "And I won't let your sorry little hide come in and destroy all that we've worked hard for. I won't." She paused. "Besides, if you do report this, you'll be part of it forever since you helped construct this little machine over here."

"But…But…I was forced to do this!!!" Peter tried to regain his confidence but his voice spoke the fear he felt that moment. Priscilla leaned into him until she was just mere inches away from his face, letting her hands grope his body, letting him feel intoxicated fear at her sensual touch.

"There is no escape." She whispered in his ear. Seducing yet full of vile and malevolence. "Remember our deal? My body in return for your services." And without warning, she kissed him with a fiery passion and he almost choked. He could feel her breasts upon him and despite his resistance, despite the dangerous situation, he felt his manly urges come out. She carried on kissing him on his neck, going down lower and lower. He felt his polo being ripped open by her sharp nails and her vile kisses flowing down all over his body…she went down lower and lower… Shamelessly destroying every bit of his being with her body and her kisses. He wanted her to stop at that moment but she wouldn't. She finally made her way back up and faced him, her face flushed from all the kissing but she had no shame.

"Kiss me." She commanded him in the most sinister tone, her dark eyes almost killing him. She pushed her to him and his lips met hers, soft yet hard. He didn't want this anymore, but she forced him. She always forced him even with making the time machine… Suddenly, her breasts were shoved in his face and he was forcefully shoved in it. He had no choice. And she moaned in mock approval, the pleasure of destroying the little man, the innocent Peter thrilling her to the very bones. She pushed him down lower and lower making him kiss her all over. She felt no disgust just pleasure and she screamed when she reached the climax. She didn't see how Peter's eyes were now filled with tears, disgust and shame written all over his face. He should never have agreed to any of this. He felt himself being lifted back up to face the treacherous monster. She kissed him again and slowly brought his arms up. And then she pulled away so viciously it hurt, like the masking tape being torn away from the lips.

And Peter suddenly found himself in chains. Heavy, metal, hard, cold chains that would bind him to his sin forever.

Priscilla laughed cruelly, enjoying every moment of it. She turned and dressed herself faced her 2 men.

"Davis, Colin. Show's over. We must make the necessary arrangements for tomorrow."

"What about him?" Davis asked, no concern evident from his face.

Priscilla glanced at the chained man on the wall. "We'll leave him here to rot." She turned back to the sneering men. "Now let's move. If we move fast, maybe I might have surprises for the two of you under my bed. We could celebrate."

And the men laughed, cruelly like their mistress. They dragged the time machine away. It was only small. Not that big for it might draw out some suspicions amongst their classmates. The trio walked away with Priscilla leading the way, leaving Peter to die slowly under the basement, in chains.

Peter thought of how cruel she was. Taking away his innocence, making him guilty for all his sins for he was the reason why the time machine was built, and now she going to kill him in the slowest of ways. He wanted a fast, easy death but she not have any of that. She would not.

Peter was left useless and abandoned and couldn't do anything to stop her madness. Instead, in his chains, he prayed.

He prayed that tomorrow never come. That the lives that were about to be destroyed after him were not to be harmed. That Priscilla would gain some sanity again.

He knew his prayers would not come true.

And he dreaded tomorrow.

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a/n: a little dark and crazy at the last part but im sure you guys get the point. Priscilla's crazy. more to come in the next chapter. :D


	7. Chapter 6: Stick to the Status Quo

**A/N: **another chapter !!!

Chapter 6

Morning came swiftly and when it did the rain had stopped. When morning came, with the sun shining down on the town of Albuquerque, it was like as if nothing happened the previous night, as if the rain had never come. Business went on as usual, students would make their way to school, and the hustle and bustle all around gave each person a sense of security and safety.

The Light would always do that. It would always give an inner peace not everyone is conscious about. But the morning peace would not last the entire day, as other events would happen during the day. It was still nice to relish in that peace will it lasted though.

"CALLBACK?!"

A piercing shriek jolted everyone from this peace, particularly the students of East High, making each student stop in their tracks and wonder what in the hell was going on. The Ice Princess was screaming…_It must've been something bad._ And it made the students walk faster inside, they felt intrigued and wanted to know what was up.

To say that Sharpay Evans was…upset was an EXTREME understatement of the year. She screamed with all her might, not believing what she was seeing. She thought she was having a nightmare, but her own scream assured her that she wasn't dreaming but was stuck in this horrible reality. She couldn't breathe at all. SHE COULD NOT BELIEVE THIS WAS HAPPENING TO HER! _Oh MY GOD!!! _It seems that was the only thought Sharpay could process at the moment.

She and her brother Ryan stood in front of a bulletin board. With it was written the announcement of their lives. Only it wasn't. They both did _not_ expect this, and neither did the students passing by them, who were able to see the list. And while Sharpay had gone in a hysterical, screaming fit, Ryan breathed in and out, calming himself and read the paper posted in front of their faces slowly, trying to make some sense out of this 'joke'.

"Callback for Roles, Arnold and Minnie," Ryan read slowly, taking a deep breath after every sentence he managed to read. "Callbacks next Thursday, 3:30 PM." He breathed again. "Ryan and Sharpay Evans." He glared at the next names written under theirs. "Gabriella Montez and Troy Bolton." He let out a final breath, not believing in the reality he was in at the moment.

At his side, Sharpay wasn't looking too good either, she was growing hysterical at every second as the clock ticked by. She was, as to say, more than _furious._ Again understatement.

"IS THIS SOME KIND OF A JOKE?!" She yelled at her brother, she felt quite light-headed already but her fury got the best of her. "THEY DIDN'T EVEN AUDITION!"

But Ryan wasn't really listening. His eyes widened at a thought of his. "Maybe we're being punk'd." He grabbed his sister's hands. Everything was possible right? It had to make sense. _This _couldn't happen. Ever. But Sharpay just gave him a look as if he had gone mad.

"What?"

"Maybe, we're being filmed right now." And Ryan frantically looked around for hidden cameras. He grabbed Sharpay's hands again and exclaimed, "MAYBE, WE'LL GET TO MEET ASHTON!"

"Oh shut up Ryan!" The man could sometimes be really insane. And this was the time to NOT get insane. On second thought…maybe it is.

At Sharpay's last comment, the Basketball team, with no Troy, who were coming up to them, laughed, extremely amused. They wanted to see what was going on this morning as they heard Sharpay's screams even before they entered the school. What could have triggered the Ice Princess so much to insanity?

"What's wrong?" Chad asked Sharpay, who just made a glance to the bulletin board before her.

But their amusement died down as they saw the cause of all the commotion. The one piece of paper stuck on the bulletin board that would change their lives forever.

Chad read the announcement over and over again, appalled, shocked and much more. Apparently, he didn't have enough breakfast to stomach such an announcement.

"What?!" Chad glanced at Ryan questioningly but he just looked down guiltily, not knowing how such a thing could've possibly happened either. When Chad couldn't get an answer, he quickly walked away wanting to get to the bottom of this at once.

_Damnit Troy. _Were his last thoughts before he stormed off looking for the Man of the Day. Sharpay followed his storming off technique, letting the other students (as there was huge crowd by now) see for themselves what all the fuss was about.

Priscilla squeezed her way in the large group of students till she got to the very front. Her eyes widened at what she read as well. The horror of it all! Her plan was slowly falling apart because of that Montez and birdbrain Bolton. She then glared at the names and stormed off quietly. She had to work fast if she wanted her plan to work. The announcement would cause enough setbacks and she had to push through with her plan TODAY. _Damnit! _She inwardly cursed. _The Bolton's always figure out a way how to stir up something. _She could already predict the upcoming commotion during lunch.

Something else was going to happen. She could feel it in her bones.

She worked faster at the very thought of it.

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Lunch – East High Cafeteria

The East High Cafeteria was huge. It had large windows making the sun shine on the students as they ate, it had two floors with a grand staircase at the left side of the enormous room. Each table, both up and down, was occupied by every kind of group nameable. And each group, felt an awkward unrest all around the large cafeteria. They didn't realize that the awkward unrest that they felt simply came from within themselves. The morning peace they all felt was all gone by now, to be replaced by this feeling, the horrible sensation they knew deep within them, that like Troy, they all had hidden secrets but couldn't voice them out loud for fear of being rejected by their group. It wasn't safe territory anymore.

The Drama Club, headed by Sharpay and Ryan stayed on the second floor. They liked to think they were above from the rest of the students who were on the ground floor even if they were the Basketball team and Wildcat Cheerleaders. They, after all, were the stars of the school.

Like the rest of the groups, the Drama Club was feeling uneasy. But only because their Ice Princess was pacing angrily back and forth in front of their table. She really was getting furiously insane by the minute.

And while everyone in the Drama Club table was worried for their star's sanity, Kelsie carried on writing in her notes, trying to hide her face with her hat, not daring to look up. She knew she was one of the reasons all this commotion started and she feared on what Sharpay might do to her when she'd find out. But deep within her, she felt like as if she triumphed in something. But that wasn't enough to quench the fear.

"How dare she sign up?!" Sharpay ranted on, stilling pacing insanely. They all knew who the 'she' was, Sharpay was referring to. She walked up to her table, "I already picked out the colors for my dressing room!" And Kelsie had to look up, and seeing Sharpay's extremely mad face made her fear more.

"And she hasn't even asked our permission to join the Drama Club." Ryan said calmly, almost soothingly. But the little information just ticked off Sharpay more. She banged the table fiercely, startling everyone on the table and making them back an inch from their chairs. They had never seen the Ice Princess this furious before.

"Someone's gotta tell her the rules." She practically growled and glowered at each and everyone at the Drama Club table.

"Exactly." Ryan supported calmly. Then he gave it a thought, "And what are the rules?"

Her brother clearly was helping lighten her mood. He seemed to make it worse. Sharpay just gave him a look that told him to 'shut up or die' and Ryan sipped his milk awkwardly, sharing a look with Kelsie, while Sharpay made her way to the railings, overlooking the entire cafeteria.

Something was starting to brew amongst her fellow schoolmates.

-------------------------

Down below, as his fellow teammates were having a typical lunch, talking and chatting, Zeke had other issues inside of him. The stir earlier this morning had obviously not gone away and he felt sort of inspired by it, so to speak. Troy made a statement. His statement clearly said that it was ok to do other things other than the field you do well in. Well, maybe it wasn't _ok _really but Zeke had to admit, his team captain had some courage in him. He knew exactly what Troy was going through, and so he felt really inspired by his team captain.

He slowly approached his friends. "You can bet there's nothing but net, when I am in the zone and on a roll." He started his speech, startling his friends but quieted down, nonetheless. All eyes were on him now. "But I got a confession, my own secret obsession and its making me lose control."

His friends, all supportive, seeing the distress on Zeke's face concerned them. "Everybody gather 'round."

Zeke breathed. "Well if Troy can tell a secret then I can tell mine…" He braced himself for their reaction. "I bake."

"What?!" Chad exclaimed, horrified at the thought. What is with everybody today?

"I love to bake!" Zeke declared proudly, gaining more strength. "Strudels, scones, even apple pandadle…"

But his list was interrupted by his friends, "NOT ANOTHER SOUND!"

He tried again, "Someday I hope to make the perfect crème brulee."

That last statement had done it all, the jocks, the cheerleaders all around him had gone mad! They surrounded him. "No! no, no, no…No, no, no!" Their words drowned him. He thought they'd be at least a little supportive. Where was Troy? Zeke knew he'd understand. These people, his friends seemed to be singing the words, spinning around him, making him feel lightheaded. "_Stick to the stuff you know if you wanna be cool, follow one simple rule, don't mess with the flow, no, no!"_ They pointed at the basketball laid in the middle of their table, a symbol of what the only thing Zeke should be focused on. Not baking. It was preposterous! _"Stick to the status quo." _At some point, someone threw him a basketball and he caught it with grace, then the entire team sat him back down, feeling all depressed all over again. _I shouldn't have done that. _Zeke thought miserably.

-------------------------------------

Meanwhile at the Brainiacs table, another was thinking about the statement Troy publicly announced with no fear. Martha Cox had to stop reading her textbook. She couldn't take it anymore. She had to tell her friends! If they truly loved her, they'd understand and accept her all the same no matter what.

"Look at me and what do you see? Intelligence beyond compare." Her friends turned to her as she began talking. "But inside I am stirring, something strange is occurring, it's a secret I need to share."

And she smiled as her friends lovingly told her, "Open up, dig way down deep."

"Hip hop is my passion!" She suddenly exclaimed, making everyone move back. She stood up to prove her point, adding a couple of dance moves to show them she was telling the truth. "I love to pop and lock and jam and break!"

"Is that even legal?" As Martha was about to retort, her friends interrupted her.

"NOT ANOTHER PEEP!" Her friends exclaimed. And Martha Cox felt disheartened.

"Its just dancing." She practically murmured. "Sometimes I think its cooler than homework."

And that last statement had done it. Her friends all stood up and went crazy! "No! no, no, no…No, no, no!" No support at all, that's what she heard. "_Stick to the stuff you know. It is better by far, to keep things as they are, don't mess with the flow, no, no!"_ And they all shoved at least one textbook in her face. _"Stick to the status quo." _She got the message and sat back down once again. Her strength from earlier all gone. _I shouldn't have done that. _Martha thought miserably.

At the other end of the cafeteria, where the Skater dude's sat, another was fessing up. Troy was his new inspiration. "Listen well, I'm ready to tell about a need that I cannot deny," He started, capturing the attention of his friends attention. "Dude, there's no explanation for this awesome sensation but I'm ready to let it fly." He really wanted to speak his voice out, his friends could see that, and so, "Speak your mind and you'll be heard." They all smiled at him. That gave him courage.

"Alright, if Troy wants to be a singer, then I'm coming clean! I play the cello!" He declared with utmost happiness.

"Awesome!" One of his friends approved. He felt relief wash over him. "What is it?"

And he made an action on what he does for a cello. But his friend sort of took it in a wrong way.

"A saw?!"

"No, dude, it's like a giant violin!"

"NOT ANOTHER WORD!" His friends exclaimed.

"Do you have to wear a costume?"

"Coat and tie." He said proudly. But that last statement had done it. His skater friends went practically hysterical! "No! no, no, no…No, no, no!" They didn't approve? He couldn't understand why. "_Stick to the stuff you know if you wanna be cool, follow one simple rule, don't mess with the flow, no, no!" _They all pointed fingers at him as if reprimanding him for his little cello confession. _"Stick to the status quo." _

---------------------------------------------

By now, practically every single group in East High had something to confess about. And it was a real jungle in the cafeteria. Everyone was practically freaking out at every little major confession one of their friends made. Even one of Priscilla's henchmen had something to confess about. All around the words could be heard, "_No! no, no, no…No, no, no! Stick to the stuff you know. It is better by far, to keep things as they are, don't mess with the flow, no, no! Stick to the status quo. _

And Sharpay watched it all from above. She didn't know if she should be furious or threatened. Apparently, Troy's statement was more powerful than she thought. But it was slowly diminishing. She wasn't the only one thinking how wrong all this was. The cafeteria had turned into one huge jungle. Literally. It was horrible.

"This is not what I want." Sharpay started pacing as she looked down at her crazy schoolmates. "This is not what I planned." She seemed to be lost for 5 seconds. "And I just gotta say…I do NOT understand!" She didn't realize Ryan was next to her already. "Something is really…"

"Something's not right." Ryan commented.

"…really wrong!" Sharpay exclaimed, ignoring Ryan's comment. "And we gotta get things back where they belong!"

"We can do it!" they exclaimed – proclaimed - to everyone –anyone- who heard them.

"Gotta play!"

"_Stick with what you know!"_

"We CAN DO IT!" They seem to be convincing their own selves rather than the others.

"Hip hop hurray!"

"_Gee its gotta go!"_

"WE CAN DO IT!" They exclaimed loudly together.

"Crème brulee!"

"_Keep your voice down low!"_

"No."

"_Not another peep."_

"No."

"_Not another word."_

"No."

"_Not another sound."_

"No…"

It was as if all the words were fused together. And Sharpay was getting too dizzy for it.

"Everybody, QUIET!!!" She exclaimed, with her all mighty voice. It shut everyone up in less than a second. It echoed all around the large cafeteria.

And then, the main cause of it all finally appeared. Gabriella Montez, innocently carrying her lunch tray with her newly found friend, Taylor. She noticed everyone seemed to be looking at her, and she noticed the eerie silence in the huge cafeteria.

"Why is everyone staring at you?" She asked her friend.

Taylor raised an eyebrow at that. "Not me, you."

Gabriella's eyes widened at that. "Because of the callbacks?! I can't have people staring at me! I just can't!" She exclaimed with all honesty. But no one seemed to mind her exclamation of fear and such.

And then the cafeteria was back in its jungle mode.

"_No! no, no, no…No, no, no!" _Gabriella and Taylor tried to make their way around the crowd, which was hard enough to do, since everyone was practically jumping, dancing and fidgeting in anger, frustration and desperation. "_Stick to the stuff you know if you wanna be cool, follow one simple rule, don't mess with the flow, no, no!"_

Gabriella did not notice Sharpay's hateful glare from above, neither did she notice Sharpay's royal decent from the staircase, still with the hateful glare directed at Gabriella, followed by her brother Ryan. If the situation weren't crazy enough as it is, an outsider would've thought Sharpay as Queen and Ryan as her loyal bodyguard. In their worlds, it seemed to be that way. "_Stick to the status quo!" _Gabriella watched in horror, while still trying to make her way around, how her school mates have gone wacko insane! Was Troy's statement really that powerful? "_No! no, no, no…No, no, no!" _It had to be, everyone was confessing, everyone was disapproving, everyone was going wild!!!_ Stick to the stuff you know. It is better by far; to keep things as they are, don't mess with the flow, no, no! Stick to the status, stick to the status, stick to the status quo!" _Gabriella, in her frenzy, did not also notice the puddle of milk on the floor and so she slipped and all her food, particularly macaroni, on her tray flew! Just in time to land on…

…Sharpay's entire blouse! Her expensive, glamorous, Chanel outfit!

The entire cafeteria immediately stopped with their wildness at Sharpay's piercing scream. Everyone shocked at the scene that had just transpired in front of them.

"I'm so sorry!" Gabriella exclaimed with utter desperation. She truly was. Gabriella, panicked, tried to do her best to wipe off the macaroni off Sharpay's blouse. But it was all futile. Taylor quickly led her away from Sharpay, knowing that she'll do more than explode.

Troy Bolton, Man of the Day, saw what had happened and immediately rushed to Gabriella's aid, knowing exactly what Sharpay could do. But Chad stopped him.

"You do not want to get into that man. Too much drama." And Chad led him away, quite dazed, wondering what the heck was going on.

To top it all off, Ms. Darbus appeared out of nowhere.

"What is going on in here?!"

And Sharpay seemed to see her perfect chance to strike back. She glanced at Ms. Darbus, and then at her extremely stained blouse and she knew she had to say something!

"Look at this!" She turned to face Ms. Darbus, who was shocked speechless at the sight of the Drama Queen. "That Gabriella girl just dumped her lunch at me!" Then a quick pause. "ON PURPOSE!" Ms. Darbus was clearly more than horrified. "It's all part of the plan to ruin our musical…and Troy and his basketball robots are behind it!" She breathed. "Why do you think he auditioned?!" She breathed again. "After all the hard work you put into this show," She glared hatefully at both Troy and Gabriella. "It just doesn't seem right!"

"ENOUGH!"

And everyone turned to another voice from across the cafeteria.

Briseis stood there with her cousin Patroclus. Both had heard about the commotion and immediately rushed to the cafeteria. They missed half of everything but at least they were on time to see Sharpay's mis-exclamation. As soon as Priscilla saw them, she quickly and swiftly rushed out the cafeteria to get her plan ready and going, and since everyone was focused on the now new arrival, she went unnoticed.

Briseis walked up to Sharpay, glaring at her as she did. She turned to her schoolmates. "Can someone please explain to me what is going on?" And everyone could see she was angry. More than that. And they feared when Briseis was angry, for it hardly happened and when she was, they were all in trouble.

Sharpay was about to open her mouth when Briseis interrupted her. "I don't think so, Princess. I heard what you had to say and I don't believe it."

"It's the truth!" Sharpay exclaimed. "Look at this!"

"Yes I saw." Briseis retorted, merely glancing at the stained blouse. "It was an accident." She turned to Ms. Darbus. "This was all an accident."

Ms. Darbus didn't know whose side to pick on. Her beloved Student President or her favorite Drama Queen.

"It was not!"

"Do you seriously want me to ask each and everyone else in this cafeteria to state what really happened? Do not even think about lying. I saw what happened and so did a bunch of other people here. You're in dangerous grounds, Ms. Evans." And her words spoke volumes. Her statement meant much deeper than what it seemed to be.

In the end, Sharpay could not do anything. "This isn't fair at all!" were the last words Sharpay exclaimed before she gracefully walked back up to the staircase, where everyone had to move aside at the sight of her. Ryan, of course, followed pursuit.

But Briseis wasn't done yet. She turned to face her schoolmates, her people. In her almighty and Presidential voice she addressed them all. "We wouldn't even be having this accident if it weren't for you all turning this cafeteria into a huge jungle! I don't understand what all the fuss is about! If you're friend is confessing something, let it be. You cannot do anything about it anyway. If your friend wants to do something different then LET THEM BE." She paused. "I do not wish for anything like this to happen again. This is an institution, not a playground! Think about your actions for today, people! If this so ever repeats again, mark my words I won't be the lenient President you elected me for." And everyone took her words to be true. "Is this understood?"

"Yes." They all replied meekly.

"Now get back to your lunch. We'll make sure this mess is cleaned up." And everyone did, normalcy being slowly restored again as everyone sat back down on their tables and began eating their lunch once again.

Briseis turned to Ms. Darbus. "It's alright now, Ms. Darbus. It's all taken care of."

Ms. Darbus was relieved of course, the wildness from earlier finally subsiding. But she was worried about something else. She caught a glimpse of Troy from behind her. "Briseis. You must tell your all star of a brother that if he is planning some sort of a practical joke in my chapel of the arts, I won't just stand by and let my Twinkle Towne be made into a farce!"

Briseis had to take a breath on that, the pressure almost overthrowing her. If there was one thing she could not stand was the discrimination the people around her had set up for her brother and she would stand up to his defense right now.

"Ms. Darbus, Troy will never do such a thing. I cannot believe you even suggested the idea. I really don't understand why everyone seems to have a grudge against_ my brother_ but I've had quite enough! Troy won't mess up, I know! Why? Because he is my brother and he wants this so badly! If none can even understand that, then you all are blind to the fact that Troy Bolton is not just a basketball playmaker! He's a good guy. My brother. But if no one will believe that, I might as well pull him and myself out of this show!"

And Ms. Darbus' eyes had to widen at her last statement. She did not want to lose Briseis in her show. There simply was no one else to replace her. But Troy? She didn't know… She really didn't know what to do anymore.

"No. No. Please. Briseis. Don't. We will think this through. I will speak to your father about this." And off she went with a flip of her purple shawl. Briseis just stared at the retreating back of Ms. Darbus, hoping that her words had not gone to a waste.

Troy glanced at his twin with a worried look, until he turned his attention to Chad.

"What's up?"

Chad had to gawk at him for a second and the look did not pass Troy. "What's up? Oh! Um. You missed free period of workout yesterday to audition for some heinous musical!" Troy knew this would happen but hearing it first out, stung him. "Suddenly people are confessing!" He grabbed Zeke who was walking by and pointed at him. "Yeah. Zeke…" As if he was about to formulate a joke. "Zeke is BAKING! Crème Brulee!"

Troy didn't see anything that was wrong with that. He turned to Zeke. "Oh, what's that?"

"Oh it's a creamy custard like the one with the Carmelite surface. It's really satisfying!" Zeke explained enthusiastically. And Troy had to share some of that enthusiasm as well. Chad could just stare at them as if they had grown three-heads.

"Shut up Zeke!" The smile wiped out from his face and he had to walk away. So did Troy with Chad on his trail.

"Do you see what's happening here man?" Chad asked him as he sat down on the table. "Our team is coming apart because of your singing thing." Troy did not want to hear this now. "Even the Drama Geeks and the Brainiacs think that they can…talk to us!" Troy didn't see anything wrong with that either. "Look! The Skater dudes are mingling!"

They looked just in time for the Skater dudes to greet them with a "Yo!"

"Suddenly people think they can do other stuff." Chad continued his speech. "Ok, stuff that's not their stuff! They've got you thinking about show tunes, when we've got a play-off game next week!"

"Chad, that's quite enough." Briseis cut in. He was about to say something but she beat him to it. "Now if you excuse me, I need to speak with my brother. No questions asked." And with that, she pulled Troy from his seat and practically dragged him out the cafeteria. Just not before she glanced at Gabriella.

"Gabriella, come with me please." When Gabriella just stood there, not knowing what to do. Briseis had to say a lot more sternly. "That was an order, not a suggestion." Gabriella turned to Taylor who mouthed a 'Just Go!' and she was off with the twins.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

Priscilla was getting her machine ready. She waited in the empty classroom, quietly and patiently. She had waited a long time for this. A few more minutes wouldn't seem to hurt. She knew that they were coming right in this very room. Every time something would come up, she discovered the twins would come in here to talk about it. This room was like their private quarters or something. Now with all that commotion earlier, Priscilla knew they would come once again. She had made sure that someone would alert Sharpay and her Ryan to this room. Priscilla was pretty sure Sharpay would be thrilled to a confrontation, especially away from the public's eyes.

And her eyes widened slightly when the door opened to reveal them. Along with that new-girl Gabriella. Priscilla felt no remorse at all. _Well too bad for her, we'll just have to get rid of her as well._

She quietly set up the coordinates of the machine as they entered, careful not to be noticed. She hid well in the shadows. She quietly arranged the numbers randomly, not caring about safety or how fine the destination was. The harsh the timeline was, the better.

Whispers from the twins and Gabriella could be heard. And suddenly, the door banged opened revealing a very angry Sharpay with her brother. She began yelling at Briseis to which Briseis yelled back, the President obviously winning. But Ryan stood back with an odd expression on his face and then Priscilla realized that he had seen her!

She cursed herself inwardly. She had to work faster. The soft hum of the machine was heard as she ignited it.

"Who's that?" Ryan asked, pointing at her, hidden well in the shadow. Briseis and Sharpay had stopped fighting and turned to where Ryan was pointing his finger. Gabriella was the next who saw her and the machine. And Gabriella being the Science nerd that was, knew exactly what that machine was. Priscilla's hands worked faster than ever.

Gabriella's eyes widened at what was happening. And then at last, she was finally able to scream. "STOP!!! DON'T!!!"

But before she could even run to stop Priscilla, she had clicked the button and a flashing blinding light shot of the machine, hitting them directly, freezing Gabriella's moving body. Priscilla had to cover her eyes, for the light was too blinding.

And then, it stopped.

The light had died out. And when she opened her eyes, the people that stood in this room merely seconds ago, were all gone.

Her plan had worked.

_Oh my god. _

_--------------------------------------------------------_

**_A/N: _**very long chapter. yep i know. well at least thats how the HSM gang made it to Ancient Greece. Greece though was an accident, as it said, Priscilla just pressed random numbers without a care, so who knew they would make it there?


	8. Chapter 7: Different Paths

**A/N: **well they're in Greece by now. They just don't know it yet. Hah. More and more surprises will be coming in the next chapters.

I don't own High School Musical AND/OR Troy, though I wish I did!!! (Like the rest of the world!)

Chapter 7

The woods were filled with tall, dark and ominous trees. It was only day but when in the forest; it was hard to tell at times for the trees were tall enough to block the rays of the sunlight. Nevertheless, the woods remained still on this day, nothing moved, nothing chirped. It wasn't as if it was dead, it was just as if everything in the forest was asleep, in hibernation. For now, it seemed to be their only peace.

The stillness was broken though by a flash of bright blue light seemingly appearing out of nowhere and with it, a human falling from the strange light with a heavy thud on the hard clump ground.

Briseis groaned in pain. Her eyes were closed for awhile, the bright light from before dimming her vision for a few minutes.

When she opened her eyes, all she saw were trees and a small ray of sunlight, making her blink furiously.

Her throbbing headache had ceased just a little, but it was enough to make her get back to earth. Her body ached from her sensation of falling hard but she was able to slowly get up to take a good look of her surroundings.

One thing was for sure, she was not in her classroom anymore.

_Where in the hell am I?_

But before she could even process another thought, an arrow, coming from above, whooshed past her, missing her faces by mere inches. She instantly looked up and saw some sort of a figure… In black. It seemed his face was covered but she couldn't really tell for the black figure was to far up in the distance. Another arrow shot passed her and she saw more figures in black all over the trees, the branches, almost everywhere. And all of them seemed to be shooting arrows and daggers at her!

_They want to kill me. _Realization dawning on her and fear tagging along with it. She was in danger now, she didn't know where she was at the moment and her companions weren't anywhere to be seen.

So she did the first thing that popped in her mind.

Briseis ran.

----------------------------------------------------

The marketplace of the city was bustling with people, work and sweat. Everyone was busy with something, minding their own business, doing their daily routines. When a person would be tired, he or she would stop to take a break and then go on again with their work. Some children were working as well, whether it was helping their parents with their business or running errands for their masters it seemed hard to tell for the children were quite malnourished and wore torn rags and cloths. Others though, who neither were walking or wearing torn cloths were buying what they can from what is being sold to them. If not, they were simply walking, taking in and observing what they saw before them.

Troy Bolton was part of that list of those people who were simply walking. He didn't understand how he ended up in some seemingly ancient and quite hostile marketplace bursting with people, yet filled with no warmth. Particularly in him.

It seemed when he'd pass by or when he'd be approaching, the people that were in his direction, glanced up from their work and gave him the coldest glare in the entire universe.

_Apparently, they don't like strangers walking among them. Wonderful. Who's going to help me now? _He thought grimly.

He did look a bit odd. He wore a plain long sleeved shirt, with a dark green color on the sleeves and jeans with his Chucks sneakers, while the people he walked amongst wore…ancient cloths? And he noticed, no one wore shoes, it was either they were barefoot or wearing sandals of some sort. He just had a History class, the period before lunch, before all the disaster happened and he distinctly remembered his teacher flashing some sort of slide picture of what people looked like during the Ancient Times. Particularly, during the beginning of civilization which happened to be in Greece. And these people seemed to fit the description.

Realizing where his train of thought was going, he stopped abruptly and when he did, more eyes burned onto him. _They REALLY don't like strangers. _Dread filled him again when his earlier thoughts came back to him. _No that's just impossible. Impossible. How can I travel from East High in Albuquerque, New Mexico, UNITED STATES, MODERN TIMES all the way back to Greece, Ancient Greece which I know nothing about? _He continued walking again, slowly as if in any moment, someone would try to pounce on him. _I should've listened to class more often. But that's impossible I can't be HERE!!!_

But even though he tried to convince himself how impossible it was, he remembered the flashing bright blue light and Gabriella's screams of 'no' and 'stop' in the back of his mind. _She knew what was going on. _Troy realized with a start.

Where were the others anyway?

When he came to consciousness, he woke up to this world without his friends by his side. _Where could they be? Where could **I** be?_

He finally decided to take matters into his hands and try to face this situation as calmly and rationally as possible. Briseis-style. He desperately wished she was here at the moment. She would've known what to do.

He stopped and elderly woman who brushed past him, carrying her market bags.

"Um…Excuse me –"

But the woman interrupted him by spitting at his foot and glaring at him before she continued walking off.

_Ok…Bad idea then. _

He carried on walking figuring out some sort of way in all of this. The people's hostility wasn't quite helping at the moment.

And from the corner of his eye, he caught a black clad figure to the far end of the side, watching him, observing him with intense and careful red eyes that frightened him to the bone. _That's odd._ Troy thought. From his view, the figure seemed to be a black ninja of some sort and it was odd how his clothing greatly differed from the people he saw now. _Ninjas didn't exist during the Ancient Period. Particularly here in Greece. _THAT he was certain of.

But he didn't stick around to find out. He walked quickly and even broke into a run, just to get as far away as he could from the black figure he saw mere moments ago.

_HELP._

---------------------------------------------

On the other side of the marketplace, specifically the slave market area, where filth and dirt and lustful, disgusting and brutal men swarmed the area.

Gabriella woke from her unconsciousness to find a stabbing pain hit her like thunder in the skies. Apart from that, she found herself being brutally dragged by two smelly but big men, in odd clothing. She couldn't quite understand at the moment how she had come to this, seeing as her mind was in weak condition and so was her body. But with each step the men took, her thoughts were slowly coming back, letting her remember the last thing that happened. And it didn't make her feel all the better.

_The time machine. _She had seen that sort of machine countless times in books and sci-fi movies but never had she expected to see it in real life, alive and working. She tried to remember who it was operating that machine but the shadows had hid the operator well. The only thing she could distinguish was that the machine operator was female.

And now she was here, in a new world, in a different timeline, far from the Modern World, far from Albuquerque and East High. She glanced up at the two men's faces and saw how ugly they were. She lowered her gaze to their clothing and knew instantly where she was.

_No. It can't be. _Tears threatened to fall down her eyes but she held it. _Greece. During the ancient times. _And she knew exactly what that implied. War, battles, women being slaves, power, greed, rape, bloodshed, killing, cruelty and the list went on and on. She had much about it not to know. This was the time when Apollo and the other gods reigned over the people and their faith, where women were looked down upon and where men fought in war almost everyday of their lives.

The men now dragged her in some dark dungeon and tears fell from her eyes, knowing exactly where she was and what was happening. _A slave house. I'm going to be a slave. They're going to make me. _And she cried and whimpered and tried to fight the two men to let her go but this angered them and she instantly slapped hard on the face.

"You will learn your place, _slave._" One of the men drawled out maliciously. He didn't seem to regret anything or at least be guilty. Instead, he seemed amused and even thrilled to have a new slave. He knew it would bring in more gold coins in his pocket.

Gabriella tasted her own blood and she cried even more, her body aching terribly more than ever.

The next thing she knew she was being slammed on the hard, cold stone floor, her face to the disgusting floors. She was pinned there by the two men. And distinctly, she smelled something burning and heard the sizzle of the fire. She didn't know what was going on, her face was to the floor and so she couldn't see, couldn't breathe.

"And now to officially mark you _permanently_ as a slave." Another more dark and sinister voice proclaimed in the dungeon she was held captive in.

Fire seemed to burn at her, making her scream. They were branding her! And she cried and struggled out all the more which made the man deeper the branding stick on her shoulder.

She felt as if she was going to die from it. She suddenly wished that she wanted to, so to end this suffering. An image of Troy suddenly appeared in her head from out of nowhere. She felt as if she loved him already but the fire burning at her dimmed her to her own feelings towards him. Towards anything at all. How did it come to this?

_Troy…help me…please…_

Was the last thought before she slipped back to unconsciousness.

------------------------------------------------------------

The palace of Thebes was now mourning the loss of their princess. She had been taken away from the royal family and now only fate knew what truly happened to her. She was greatly loved by many, her beauty competing with that of Helen of Sparta and her loss had been a great blow to the city.

Of course, when Sharpay Evans woke up in some glamorous and luxurious chamber, she didn't know any of this. Neither did she know that she chamber she was currently residing in was that of the mourned princess of Thebes. What she did know was that she was definitely not in Kansas anymore. She wasn't in East High but in somewhere else quite different. Far from the life she knew. She could even smell it in the air, as if East High and callbacks was another lifetime away.

This line of thought jolted her out of the enormous but soft bed and she began taking in her surroundings. She sort of liked the room, but it didn't seem like the modern kind of rooms she used to know. It seemed like rooms like this only existed during ancient times. Like those in Greece and such. She had her briefing on the history of arts and designs just recently. She went over to the terrace she spotted and looked out. What she saw before her eyes both amazed and shocked her.

Before her eyes, an entire city was lay before her. She saw the ocean with its deep blue calmness, ships and so many other things. It felt like as if she was looking out the entire world. _A very strange and unknown world though. _

This made her sort of dash out of the room and crash right into a lady…who looked like a servant of the palace.

The servant girl's eyes widened at the site of Sharpay. At first, Sharpay thought it was out of fear, but then she realized the servant's eyes held some sort of recognition towards the blonde.

"My lady?"

Sharpay backed away slowly. Her earlier admiration for the city she saw quickly fading away. _What in the world is going on?_

"My lady!" the servant girl exclaimed with joy. "Could it really be you?" Sharpay's eyes just widened and she continued backing away. "We thought we had lost you! Oh my lady! Your presence here warms my heart! Thank the gods you are safe!"

"What exactly are you talking about? Who are you? Where am I? What am I doing here?" Sharpay at last found her voice. And the fast said questions quite shocked the servant girl.

"My lady don't you remember?" Sharpay shook her head, still backing away until she was met with the wall.

"My lady, you have been stolen away from the royal family and we haven't heard from you since. We all thought…you were dead." And the servant girl almost looked like as if she was going to cry. "But my lady you're back now!"

"No! Whoever you're thinking of, it ain't me." Sharpay frantically shaking her head. "You're mistaken."

"My lady, I am most certain about this. Don't you remember? I am one of your handmaidens, Minerva and you are the Princess Cynthia of Thebes. You are here at the palace of Thebes, your home."

_No…way…_ _How could I have gotten here?_ The only thing she remembered was the flash of blue lightning blinding her and Gabriella's screams and next thing she knew she was here in THEBES! Did that place even exist anymore? Greece. She was in Greece. But how? And then she remembered the room she came from and the city she saw, noting its beauty but its antique appearance, just like how she had seen in her many history books. The bright light came back in her mind and she paled, realization dawning on her. _No wonder that Gabriella girl was screaming like hell. She knew what it was. What it would do. _Would she find the science nerd at this point now? She couldn't even see her own brother, what more her new rival? _This is NOT happening to me._

"Look, _Minerva_ I'm sorry to get you all wrong and all, but I am not your girl! My name is Sharpay Evans and I need to look for my friends!"

For a moment, Minerva, the handmaiden seemed to stare at with a puzzled, hurt expression and then all of a sudden her hand went to her chest and she cried out, "Oh! My lady what have they done to you?! They have made you lose your memory and forget us, your home!"

The handmaiden cried so hard, Sharpay had no idea what to do. She was torn from running away and staying. In the end, she moved away from the wall, patting the handmaiden awkwardly on her shoulder.

Minerva looked up. "My lady, you must believe me. You must try to remember. You are Princess of Thebes."

Sharpay was having a battle in her mind. She really wanted to run away or at least protest even further but if she did, then the handmaiden would cry all over again and she wouldn't know anymore. _Ugh! What the heck…_

"Fine. Fine. Look I'll try to believe you." She was the Drama Queen, might as well play along with the storyline right? Besides she believed that if she and her friends were really lost, then they'd find themselves back here at a palace, where they could seek refuge, wherever they were. And Sharpay had no plans of getting herself kicked out and thrown to a harsh world.

"Come my lady." Minerva took her hand and led her back into the room she came from. "We must get you changed. Your family will be swelling with happiness when they see you are safe."

Minerva then took a good look at Sharpay's clothes and gave her an odd look.

"Your captors…they have dressed you in an odd sort of fashion."

Sharpay raised her eyebrow and was about to retort when she thought the better of it. _No point now. _

"Come, we must make you look like the princess you really are. And get you out of these odd robes."

Sharpay just shrugged that signaled her to let her at it.

_Go ahead. Make me the princess I really am. _

She sighed in resignation.

She'll just have to go with the flow.

-----------------------------------------------

Thebes had many guards and soldiers protecting the city from invasion or war and such. It also protected the royal family from any harm. Thebes was a strong nation, it needed strong soldiers and weaponry and arms.

Ryan Evans was not any of that.

He woke up in a daze, wondering where his friends were till he remembered the incident in the classroom. He could distinctly remember Priscilla Nevalo sitting in the shadows with some sort of machine by her side. He then remembered Gabriella's screams and then a flash of blue lighting.

And now he was awake…

…in some soldiers headquarters. He could tell from the many weapons arranged neatly and orderly before him. He saw the shields of course with some sort of an Ancient seal he didn't understand. He didn't know he was in Thebes, neither did he know the fate of his friends and sister.

Ryan slowly got up and carried on observing his surroundings not liking it one bit. He saw a man in an armor swiftly approach him with a stern look on his face.

"You there! Where is your armor?" The armored man demanded.

Ryan could just look around in response, not knowing how to answer.

The man walked right up to him and Ryan saw he carried a sword at his side, a helmet in his right hand and the full armor in close up.

Ryan knitted his eyebrows in confusion and recognition. He'd seen such armors before. But where? He couldn't remember anymore.

"Boy!" The armored man called to him again. "Are you mute or deaf? I asked you a question, I expect an answer. Where is your armor?"

"Um…I don't have one sir." He gulped and Ryan knew his voice was shaking in fear. The armored man carried a sharp sword. Who wouldn't be afraid?!

"Ah. You must be new then. Well you must get your act right because I am not liking it one bit. If you showed such attitude during battle, your life would be over even before the gates open and the horses move." The armored man reprimanded sternly. He did not approve of such soldiers not in their frame of mind. "And what is that you are wearing?" Truly he had never seen anyone else dressed that way.

"My clothes sir."

"Well you certainly have an odd sense of fashion." He paused. "Now get into your armor! Or so help me Zeus, I will beat your organs out till you have learned your lesson boy!"

Ryan feared the threat, knowing it to be true. "Sir, yes sir! Right away sir!"

"And be ready for tonight banquet. The royal princess of Thebes has returned…mysteriously." The armored man paused. "And the King asks for more guards and soldiers to guard the palace walls. Do not make a mistake again."

"Sir, you can count on me sir." Ryan replied with all of his dignity, happy he was instantly given an assignment on first day. He'd never been a soldier, he was always the star along with his sister. But this was something new. Might as well make it work. It seemed interesting.

He'll just have to find out what was really going on later on.

First he'd have to try to get in the damned armor.

_I hope we all find each other soon._

_-------------------_

**A/N: **Next chapter Briseis Bolton meets Achilles. and how will the gang find each other when 3 are in Phytia (Briseis, Gabbi and Troy) while 2 are in Thebes! stick around for the upcoming chapters. More surprises will be up

Read and REVIEW please. Comments suggestions are most greatly welcomed. thank you D


	9. Chapter 8: Plagued

**A/N: **yay! This is it! Haha! Another surprise!

I don't own High School Musical and Troy but gosh these movies were totally the best!

PLEASE READ AND REVIEW. Thanks so much. Enjoy

Chapter 8

It was another mourning day for the great Achilles. This was the day that his dear cousin Patroclus had died at the hands of Prince Hector of Troy. Of course, out of pain and anger, Achilles had sought out for the murderer of his cousin the next day, and Hector had died by his hands. During the evening, he had released his beloved Briseis from her bounds and freed her to her uncle, the Honorable King Priam. These two days he remembered well, like the other memories he would never forget, for they were forever buried in his mind and heart.

He had decided to go on some sort of a retreat in the woods of Pythia, as he had always planned, wishing to mourn these two days alone. He wanted to be far away from the world when he would mourn the 3 most important people in his life.

The world never understood his transformation from fierce and great warrior god to calm and serene and broken _mortal_. Only his men, the Myrmidons did. They were with him when these two days had come to pass.

It has been exactly 1 year since the fall of Troy, the end of the Trojan War. Exactly one year since Patroclus and Hector died. And in about 12 more days, it would make exactly one year since the death of Briseis.

So much death. So many memories.

Would he ever forget?

No. He didn't think he'd want to forget anyways.

He walked on in the woods, unafraid of the creatures lurking about for he was Master of the Woods and he'd know what to do. But even though unafraid, he walked with a heavy heart, the memories and pains of yesterday filling his ever fiber of being, swallowing him all over again.

He walked on, the memories flooding in him all over. He didn't seem to mind. He let them take over him. He willingly let himself drown in the sea of memories.

_Even when the pyres had burned down, the body with it, and even the ashes of the body had long been dusted away, Achilles still stood by, mourning and hurting and weeping. He clutched the necklace of seashells that had once belonged to his beloved cousin. But now it had no owner, as its owner's life had been taken away so cruelly and so mercilessly, so swiftly. It didn't seem fair. Patroclus was only a boy. Young, energetic. He had so much potential, so much life and laughter. And Achilles was finding it hard to accept that all the laughter had finally died out in one swish of the sword. Patroclus had a good heart. He was naïve and innocent in his own ways. A boy. He didn't deserve to die the way he did. _

_Tears flooded his eyes all over again, his vision blurring. He clutched the necklace tighter, still refusing to believe in any of this. He thought it was a dream, a horrible nightmare but no, it wasn't. Reality burned. _

_From his tent, she watched him from afar, feeling his great pain. She felt deeply pained too. How could Hector be so stupid? She cursed him for destroying the life of an innocent boy. It was so unjust and so wrong. _

_Briseis remembered the times she would chance upon Achilles' cousin. He had always been kind to her, always showing her the respect she deserved, with or without Achilles' telling him to, even when he clearly knew she was the enemy. He was a good boy who yearned to show he was grown up by fighting alongside his cousin. It was all he wanted. _

_Tears fell from her eyes at the sight of her beloved. She knew how much Achilles cared for his cousin. Deep inside, she cared for him the way Achilles did as well. Briseis sighed. War always brought out the worst in everything._

_She got up from her position, tired of watching the mourning warrior. She couldn't just sit here and watch anymore. She had to try to comfort him. She was about to go to him when Eudorus, second man of Achilles, stopped her with his arm._

"_My lady, it wouldn't be wise –"_

_But Briseis cut him off. "He needs us, even if he won't admit it in a lifetime." Seeing the expression the man's face before her, she softened. "I miss Patroclus too. He was always kind to me even if he knew I was the enemy. He said that even if we were enemies, we could still be friends in a way. I shared his secrets and he shared mine." She tried to stifle a sob which failed miserably. "And now…I guess no one will be finding out what my secrets are because he took it with him to the grave with him." And she cried out at again, her heart pouring out before the man._

_Eudorus' eyes filled with tears too, remembering the boy as well. _

"_I curse Hector now. Stupid, stupid cousin! Why did he do that? Stupid. He's so stupid." Briseis bantered on and on, while sobbing and burying her face in her hands. _

"_My lady…" Eudorus said tentatively, wiping the tears from his eyes. "I still think it not wise to go to him."_

_Briseis sniffed. "I know." But even if she did know, she started to walk on the soft beach of Troy, to the direction of her grieving beloved._

_Achilles didn't sense her approaching him as he was drowned in his own lament. Only when she spoke did he realize she was there behind him._

"_I'm sorry."_

_If he'd heard her, he didn't show her that he did. But he had heard her clearly and he didn't know what to say. _

_A long silence passed between them, both caught up in the pain of losing someone dear. Briseis looked beyond the sea, begging for the comfort it always gave her. It didn't come. _

"_Where are your angels now?" Achilles whispered in the night. His voice held no warmth in it. Just pain, anger and sorrow. _

_Briseis was taken aback by his question. Never did she ever thought he would've believed her words, her faith, and her beliefs. But she answered him nonetheless._

"_They are with him right now. And he is one of them."_

_Achilles closed his eyes as more droplets of tears flowed down his cheeks. But she never saw it for his back faced her. _

"_You still believe in this light, this faith of yours?" He finally drawled out in the cruelest way possible, not caring if he hurt her again and again. _

"_Yes I do." She answered bravely. And Achilles almost wanted to turn to her, to see her face, knowing it would help take away all the pain. "The light is dimming but I still believe. Patroclus is an angel now. He is watching over us. He doesn't want to see you like this."_

_Achilles had had enough. He rounded on her and grasped her shoulders tightly and painfully enough for her to cry out but he didn't care. _

"_How dare you speak of my cousin that way? How do you know?! You do not have any idea! Your faith, your angels is as false as the gods! It is a false belief meant only for children who have no idea on what reality is, who have no idea what life really is. Do not speak these lies to me ever again or I swear to all the gods I will destroy you till there will be nothing left of you!" _

_And he released her in all his fury and anger, pushing her down the beach sands without caring how much the impact caused her._

_His words cut like a knife right at the heart, her sorrow intensifying tenfold. He turned away from her again. And Briseis slowly got up, more tears falling down her cheeks. _

_For a moment, she didn't speak. And Achilles thought she really wouldn't but then again, he underestimated her all the time. _

"_My words were never lies. They were always the truth. And I do know of such things. Because they are here in my heart and I will believe them until the day I die. I will burn with my beliefs forever implanted in me." She turned and began to walk away. _

_She glanced back at him and said, "And you have destroyed me already. And I know you will destroy me more." It was her turn to cut him like a knife. It hurt because it was true. And they both knew it. _

"_My heart is ready."_

_She whispered in the night before walking off completely. But Achilles stopped her with his voice._

"_Are you afraid Briseis?" He had asked her this question when they first met, and he had asked her now, knowing that things have changed immensely since they first met. _

_She remembered too for she took awhile to reply to his query. _

"_Should I be?" _

_And she continued walking off till she reached his tent, where she could not see nor hear him anymore. _

It began to rain softly in the forest and Achilles moved himself to the hidden cabin he had constructed mere months ago, for refuge and shelter in case of times like these. He thought about what he did to her that night and instantly felt guilty once more. He always regretted ever hurting her so terribly. He knew well that her faith and love were the only things left of her. He thought about her strong and brave words, the irony of it all dawning on him.

In the end, she really did die with her beliefs burning along with her. Her faith that never ceased to fail even in the worse times of darkness. She had died in front of the statue of Apollo, her never-ending faith showing brightly and clearly even in her setting of death.

_Patroclus is an angel now. _She had said. Was she finally the angel Achilles always thought her to be? She must be. Her faith would prove her most deserving.

_He is watching over us._ Was she watching over him now? From the heavens above, was she keeping an eye on him just as she believed Patroclus would? Maybe she was and Achilles felt deeply comforted that he had an angel guiding him forever.

_He doesn't want to see you like this. _No, Briseis wouldn't really want him to see him like this. But he simply had no other choice, there was nothing else he could to do to ease his pain. He would take it all in and be brave just like his little angel was. He had no choice. And he knew she would understand.

With each step he took, the rain became stronger but he didn't seem to mind. He looked up, trying to catch a glimpse of the sky, letting the rain pour down his face. _The angels are crying again tonight._ Was she crying along with him? Was this her way of showing she saw him mourning all over again? For her. For Patroclus. For Hector. For Troy.

He jolted out of his thoughts though when he heard a soft moan at his right side. He glanced to the sound. Was it just his imagination playing tricks with him? Who else could be here in the middle of the woods? He almost dismissed it until he heard it again. The same sound. And he knew for certain his mind wasn't playing tricks with him.

Achilles tried to follow the sound, which was hard since the rain made things hard to hear and whoever it was emitting the sound, he could figure that the person was in deep pain which made the sounds very soft. Achilles knew he had to find the person quickly for the life of him. He was already mourning 3 dead people and an entire fallen nation; he did not wish to grieve for one more.

He rounded a corner and finally was able to see that his suspicions were correct. It was a person in a lot of pain. But what startled him was that it was a woman who lay a mere meter away from him, covered in a lot of blood and he could see arrows everywhere around her and some sort of a torn bag at her side. It was easy to tell that someone or some people had wanted to harm this poor woman.

He walked quickly towards the almost dead woman and when looked upon her face, he received the ultimate shock of his life.

_Briseis._

Well, the woman had the face of Briseis, so to speak. He blinked his eyes once or twice just to make sure that he was having a clear vision. He rubbed his eyes, clearing it away with the tears and rain. He was thinking of Briseis so much, he could be just hallucinating. But when he opened his eyes in clear view, the vision of Briseis' face didn't change. And he stood frozen just staring upon the woman that lay before him.

_How could this be?_

It was impossible. Briseis was dead. She had died in his arms and he had burned her body in the pyres himself back in Troy. And yet now, here she was again, in the middle of the woods, broken and bleeding once again. And he did not understand how it came to be.

He heard her moan and that instantly made him drop to her side and bring his mind back to the situation at hand. He'd deal with the confusion later; right now he had to make sure she be safe and alive. He didn't want to lose her again. Once was enough.

With a shaky hand, he checked her pulsed, and when he felt it, his hands trembled more.

His eyes then traveled to her body and his eyes widened at the blood that covered most of her clothes. He then noticed her clothes which seemed odd for anyone. He had never seen anyone dressed in the way his Briseis did at the moment. He had no idea what she wore; it was definitely not the Virgin robes nor the robes of a Princess nor the robes of any woman he knew. He wasn't even sure if what she wore were robes to start with.

But the blood concerned him more and if he didn't hurry, she would be dead sooner before he could even ask, 'How?' And he swiftly carried her and he noted how she felt so light in his arms. He took her bag over his shoulders, thinking it was probably her personal belongings, though he wondered why she would even have a bag in the first place.

Soon Achilles had reached the cabin that had a small lake in the back, where the trees were surrounding the cabin instead of hovering over it so the skies were not blocked.

But Achilles didn't mind that. He couldn't notice the beauty of the area of his cabin right now. He rushed into the cabin and put Briseis down on a bed of furs and began lighting the cabin with candles and such. Next he quickly filled the bowl with water and started dabbing her face with a towel. But when he glanced down her body, Achilles stiffened completely.

He could not heal here properly unless he removed her blood-filled clothes.

_By the gods, they are cursing me now._

He closed his eyes to get a grip on himself. He, great and mighty Achilles, who never feared anything, was now afraid. Very much afraid. He was afraid of touching this Briseis. If this woman had the same face as the Briseis he knew, she'd certainly have the same body.

And just thinking about it was making him lose his sanity.

He glanced at the bloodied figure and instantly forgot about his sanity. She'll have to come first. And he'll have to put his taunting, confused mind aside till she is well and not bleeding to death in front of him.

He started removing her garments slowly, only to find that her other parts Achilles was afraid to look at was covered with another sort of cloth meant to really cover those parts. And he wondered again the oddness of it all. But once he took a good look at the blood, bruises, the cuts, some long, some short, and some deep.

Achilles' eyes suddenly filled with tears just looking at the battered yet beautiful young woman in front of him. _Why would anyone just to harm her? Who?_

And he vowed to himself he will kill those who harmed her.

But first, Briseis must live.

He worked quickly, tending her wounds.

_She must be safe, so help me Apollo._

---------------------------------------------------

Meanwhile, Briseis Bolton was plagued with turmoil, pain and suffering in her mind. She was slowly slipping away, drowning in the terrible dreams that were haunting her now. She didn't even understand them. She was simply slowly being swallowed in the realm of dreams. Horrible ones to begin with.

She dreamt of a many things. She dreamt of herself running so fast, she could hardly breathe, yet she never stopped running or dodging the arrows. The deadly arrows that were killing her now. She dreamt of the figures in black. She could see them up close now. Their eyes were red and their mouths and hairs covered with a black cloth. But the eyes were the one that terrified her. The poisoning eyes that were killing her now. _What do they want from her? _

She dreamt of Gabriella, sweet faced and innocent Gabriella who her brother fell in love with and a dark dungeon, filled with dirt, grime and rats. She dreamt of a fire burning and sizzling and she felt it plunge through her body. She screamed. The fire was killing her now.

She dreamt of running amongst fire this time, running till she reached a statue. She dreamt of a man, blonde, tall and cerulean eyed, coming to rescue her, coming out of nowhere. She dreamt of one more arrow that was the deadliest. It was meant for the beautiful man that rescued her but this time she had to pay him back the favor. She dreamt of the arrow that hit her heart straight out, a perfect shot not meant for her. It was killing her now.

She dreamt of Patroclus, her cousin. Her happy, wonderful, energetic, intelligent and smart cousin. She dreamt of him dying in the most horrible way. Someone had slit his throat so mercilessly. She screamed. She couldn't handle Patroclus dying. She wouldn't survive. It would kill her.

And last, she dreamt of her twin brother. Troy. Her all-star, brave, talented, shy, kind and understanding brother. She loved him so much. He was her other half. And if they had been separated at birth, she'd probably feel incomplete for the rest of life till brother and sister were reunited. But they weren't separated and so she was complete. She knew he was too. But another arrow destroyed their union. Hitting him instead of her and she couldn't save him like how she died the cerulean eyed man. Troy fell dead and gone and cold right in front of her. His dreams dying along with him, half her soul dying along with him. _No!_ She couldn't lose both Patroclus and now Troy. No. She couldn't accept. The dreams were killing her now. All of it.

She screamed her loudest scream and yet she felt as if no sound was coming out.

_Was she really drowning? Choking in the deaths of her loved ones?_

_Please don't leave me Troy. _

_Troy. _No answer.

_TROY! _Still no answer.

_TROY!!!_

"TROY!!!" Her eyes fluttered open and she bolted up from her lying position, sweating and panting hard. She still couldn't breathe. Troy. Where was he? She needed to find him now. And she was about to get out from her bed of furs-she didn't know how she got there, neither did she want to stick around to find out-but the sudden pain all over her body stopped her.

She turned to her side and saw a blonde, tall and cerulean eyed man. _The man from her dreams! Her savior!_ But how was he here? Did she know him? Have they met before?

She was suddenly frightened. She didn't know who he was. What if the dream was wrong and he was going to harm her instead? She backed up to the wall considerably, trying to hide the fear in her eyes but failing miserably.

She was shaking. And more sweat dripped down from her forehead. She wanted to get out of here and find Troy now!

But she realized that wasn't going to happen anytime soon.

The man just gave her a confused, concerned and intense stare and she almost thought she found it familiar. Those eyes. _Beautiful eyes she could drown in._

But she was drowning already. She didn't think she had a voice. Briseis Bolton, President and powerful leader, losing her voice. It was too much for her to bear.

After what seemed like eons, she finally croaked out awkwardly to the man.

"Who are you?"


	10. Chapter 9: Awakening

**A/N: **people please read and review! Thanks so much!

It's a bit confusing for these two here. Haha.

Enjoy!

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Chapter 9

"Who are you?"

_Who are you? Who are you? Who are you?_

The question kept ticking in Achilles' head, like a time bomb getting ready to explode.

And it did.

The question completely blew up in Achilles' face and he felt his heart shattering into a thousand sharp pieces. The question stung. So much.

Never mind the fact the look of fear that registered in her eyes when she woke up. He knew she tried to hide it but he could see past that. Never mind the fact the blank and fearful look she had in her face or the pale and panting reactions she had when she had awakened. Never mind the fact that she had been screaming in her sleep that causing Achilles to almost go mad with concern and worry. No.

_Who are you?_

And suddenly Achilles was angry. He did his best to not show it. He resurfaced the blank and cryptic stare he would always give her before. Were the gods really so cruel? To give her back to him, only to not remember him? His insides were aching so much. He was trying his best to control his shaking hands.

He did not want her to see him like this.

Why didn't she remember him? Why? _Why?! _

It was so unfair. How Fate always played with him and her like this. Moments like these, Achilles had to wonder how Briseis managed to keep a strong faith in the gods and in her beliefs. They didn't deserve such loyalty at all.

A sob escaped from the woman's lips and Achilles saw she buried herself in her hands. His anger dissipating as quickly as it came. No matter what, he did not like seeing her like this. He did not like hearing her sob or cry. When he had come back to his tent after dragging Hector's body all over the beach, the first thing he heard was that same sob and the look she had in her eyes now. Achilles remembered the moment he entered his tent, saw her and instantly regretted what he did.

She was muttering something and Achilles had a hard time trying to figure it out but after awhile he heard it.

"Troy…Troy…" She repeated over and over again.

Didn't she remember that too? Did she completely forget everything that had transpired in that once beautiful and now fallen city?

More than anything he wanted to comfort her put his arms around her and wash away her tears. But he couldn't. In her eyes, he was a stranger. Probably even thought he'd harm her. No wonder she was frightened to death. Whoever it was out there in the woods really wanted to finish her off and Achilles vowed to himself once again that whoever it was that tried to harm her, he'd kill without mercy.

"Troy is gone." She looked up at him suddenly, tears glistening in her eyes, soaking her beautiful face and one look at her and his breath was taken away. Even when she cried, she still remained dazzling and breathtakingly beautiful beyond words.

"What?" Briseis murmured so softly in disbelief, Achilles almost missed it.

"Troy has fallen." He hated to be the bearer of bad news, but she deserved to know, to be told of once again. "Don't you remember? You were there. Agamemnon had breached Troy's walls and by nightfall, slaughtered all the Trojan people he could see and burned the city to the grounds." He tried to explain as gently as possible.

Briseis sniffed and her eyebrows knitted in confusion. "What are you talking about?"

"Troy. The city has fallen. It has been a year now." Achilles replied softly.

Briseis instantly got that they weren't talking about the same Troy.

"I'm not talking about that."

It was Achilles' turn to be confused.

"My brother. My twin brother. Troy." She said desperately. "I need to find him. I dreamt he was in danger and –" She couldn't continue for she choked on a sob.

Achilles was more confused now more than ever. He had known Briseis well enough to know that she did not ever have a brother. Much more a twin brother named right after the perished city. He knew she had three cousins, Hector, Paris and Cassandra, a sister-in-law, Andromache, a respected and faithful uncle, King Priam and a nephew baby Astynax. He knew she was the single daughter of her late parents, who died when she was at an early age. And so he knew well enough that she did not have any twin brother.

"Who are you?" the woman with the face of his beloved asked him once again. Amongst her sobbing and despair, she had noticed that her wounds had been tended to and were clean, that here clothes were drying in the small fireplace at the corner, that she wore a clean dark blue robe, something she had never worn or seen before. Clearly, the man had been her savior. _And so the dream was true. _This made her dread the fate of Troy and Patroclus and Gabriella all the more.

Achilles stared hard at the woman before him, trying to break through her, trying to penetrate her soul. But he could see, she really did not know. And finally, the hard, cold realization dawned upon him like rocks falling all over his head and crushing his skull.

_She is not the Briseis I knew and love. _But someone else entirely. They had the same face, its true. But it was not _her_.

"Achilles." He finally answered after what seemed like centuries. "Son of Peleus."

He watched her reaction carefully, and he noticed her eyes widen visibly and her face pale considerably. He didn't know if his heart could break any further or if his anger would resurface again.

_She is not Briseis. She is not Briseis. _He made the words repeat in his mind over a million more times. It seemed to be his only comfort now.

"What did you say?" She drawled out slowly, almost in disbelief.

It was like their first meeting back in Troy, only now they had reversed roles and he wasn't giving her an accusation of some sort. _You killed Apollo's priests_. She had said back then. Oh! How Fate loved to play with them now.

"Did you not hear me?" He uttered these words to her once upon a time. He didn't know what came over him. He cursed himself for being so cold once again.

Oh Briseis heard right and she wasn't sure if she was going to faint or choke. Could she do both? If the moment weren't so serious, she would've been laughing right now.

She suddenly remembered the flashing blue light so blinding it hurt her eyes. She remembered Gabriella's screams. And Ryan's curious gaze at the shadows. And now here she was, in front of the man they were currently discussing in her World History class, in the flesh, in his Greek clothes, here. With her. No wonder they weren't in the same level awhile ago.

_Troy. The city has fallen. It has been a year now. _His words were drumming in her skull over and over. It's been a year since Troy fell. She started to calm herself by breathing slowly. Troy. The fallen city. 1 year has passed. It was the city they were learning in History class. _Inhale. _She was in history in the flesh now. _Exhale. _She was not with her friends or Troy. They were nowhere in sight. _Inhale. _She was sitting in front of the man she had been writing essays about for the past month. She never imagined him to be so _concerned. Kind but cold. Quiet and distant. Beautiful and whole. _The books never said how he had blue eyes nor did the books say how his golden hair shone in the darkness. _Exhale. _Oh my god. She was in Greece. Not just Greece, but Ancient Greece. She was really here. And worse, she wasn't dreaming anymore.

She remembered her school. Her students, her teachers, her friends, her family all the way back in the future. Who was going to take her place now?

And suddenly it hit her like a ton of bricks.

Someone really plotted against them all, leading them right into the trap. At that moment those people who were deemed highly important in the school were there in that same room. Sharpay and Ryan, the Superstars. Gabriella, for her relations with Troy, who was the captain of the basketball team, a popular and very influential guy as well. The scene in the cafeteria proved that. Briseis, who was the President of the entire school, loved and respected by her fellow students. All that, plus the fact that the most important events were all scheduled for next week. It was the perfect plan. To send them away forever so that the evil culprits would get their glory. Only their plan was really sick and it probably took years of planning and genius.

Who could it be?

Who was next in line to the throne?

And Briseis wanted to throw up when the name came up.

_Priscilla Nevalo._

She could do it. She had all the money, the influence, the lust for power plus in the future, with all the technologies up, scientists had been claiming that traveling in time could be made possible. She would do it. Priscilla had succeeded.

And Briseis felt betrayed. _How could she? I trusted her!_ With Priscilla as the new Queen, how would her school fair? What is happening there now? Would anyone discover that they were gone? Find out where they were? Figure it out? Try to save them? All thoughts pointed to a big fat NO. And there was no way of going back. To send them to a time where everything was manually done and everything was in harsh ruins. It was perfect. It would ensure they never get back.

_That skank bitch. _

"Oh my god." Briseis looked up to her warrior companion in horror. She didn't know what to do anymore. "Oh my god."

Meanwhile, Achilles was oblivious to Briseis' new discoveries. When she had finally spoken and looked at him with horror, he had thought that his name merely frightened her.

"You don't need to fear me girl. I will not harm you." He said these words to her once upon a time.

"What?" She closed her eyes and Achilles could see she was trying to get a grip on herself. He pitied her. She looked so lost. "No. No." She shook her head. "It's not that."

_What else could it be? _Achilles thought, clearly confused. "Then what is it?"

Briseis looked at the warrior's blue eyes and thought she was falling even love with them. _Wait. Stop. No. Her _and_ the warrior? The greatest of all warriors? Was that even legal? Focus Briseis! _She had to make choice now. She needed help. She didn't know Greece. She didn't know anything except historical facts. But that wasn't going to be enough. She needed to find her friends. She needed to find her brother and figure out some sort of way out of this mess. She needed this man, Achilles, to help her.

_God give me the strength and courage now. _She closed her eyes, making a short prayer in her mind and made the Sign of the Cross, Achilles watching the peculiar action, intrigued. _God protect me. Send me your angels please. I need guidance. Help me, Father. _

She opened her eyes to meet a pair of blue ones. _Father, lead us not into temptation. Please… _She breathed deeply before she spoke.

"My name is Briseis Bolton." Briseis started slowly, the shock in his eyes did not go unnoticed by her. She gulped. _Guide me Lord. Please._ "This…I'm not from here…Well I'm not from this timeline really." The spotlight is all on her now. She had all of his attention. _God give me courage. _"I'm from the future and my friends and brother, we're all lost. We're separated. And I don't know where they are. I don't know how to find them. I don't know Greece." _Lord I need You now. _"I need you to help me. You're the only one I can turn to now." _Lord I turn to You for guidance._

And Achilles was left dumb-founded and thunderstruck. Briseis always had that ability, that same effect on him. From future or not. He didn't know what to say. But he knew she was not lying or pulling up on a practical joke. He didn't know how it was possible for the future to come to the past. But it seemed to make perfect sense. The clothes, the handbag, and the way she didn't recognize him at first sight.

He couldn't sit down anymore and so he stood up started pacing around the small cabin, deep in thought while Briseis just watched him silently.

_They even have the same name. _No matter what Fate was still playing sticks and stones with them. _The same face. Maybe she's a descendant. _

It was possible. Though Briseis may not have lived and he not wishing to lay with any other women anymore, Andromache had a son from Hector, and Paris and Helen would have an offspring as well. Or maybe one of the Trojan survivors. Her ancestors could be traced all the way to them. It even showed in her brother's name. Troy. _They must be descendants of the royal family._

"You don't believe me." She suddenly stated, making Achilles stop pacing and look at her. "I know. It's hard to grasp. I'm having a hard time believing it too. But it's true. And believe me, this wasn't any accident."

That stirred the warrior's curiosity. "What do you mean?"

Briseis sighed. "You see, in my school, East High I'm sort of like the President of it all." Seeing the warrior's puzzled look, she suppressed a frustrated grunt. "Like, the highest leader in a land here. Like... a... Queen!" _That's it. Greek-style language._

Achilles was of course surprised at the new information given to him, though he should've known better. Of course, in her past life she was a princess, it was only right to make her a Queen in the future. It fit right.

"You mean royalty." Achilles stated.

"No." She smiled at him. The first smile she'd given him. He almost forgotten the fact that this wasn't the same Briseis. He just missed the smiles she used to give him when she lived. "I don't really like to call it that. More like…a politician."

Achilles nodded in understanding. She was always so modest too.

"Well, I care for my people, my students and I do my best to serve them. Being leader is not all about power, sometimes you have to go down your level to reach the people, so that they can listen to you and so that you can listen to them."

To say that Achilles was taken aback was an understatement. He had heard similar lines coming from the wise King Odysseus and he felt a newfound respect from the woman sitting across him. _She'd make a fine Queen._

"But you see, not all people think that way." And Achilles comprehended instantly, knowing her words to be true. "And so, to cut the story short, my second in line to the throne decided to build a time machine and warp us back here, in this timeline…"

"…Ensuring that you will never come back so that he could take all your power." Achilles finished. It was a sick and cruel plot, but successful nonetheless.

"More like a she." Briseis muttered under her breath.

"And what of your friends? Your brother?" Achilles inquired.

"Well they have high positions too. Just in different fields. I'm sure you get the picture."

Achilles nodded once. "But even if you find them, how can you get back?" He knew that this Ancient World wouldn't have the materials to build a machine that could make people travel through time. He had a feeling Briseis knew too.

"I just need to ensure they are safe." She began voicing her thoughts. "I don't think anyone will discover this… I mean Priscilla – my second in line to the throne – would say someone kidnapped us or I don't know, make up some fabricated story and the whole student body will believe it!" She gave him a look of despair. "I don't think she is concerned really about the people. She doesn't care. How will they fair without a leader who cares? It will be chaos!"

The first thought that came in the great warrior's mind was how they, Greece, needed more Kings and leaders like this woman before him. Her compassion towards others was beyond words for Achilles. He knew, if given a choice of life and death, she would gladly choose death just to ensure the safety of her people. Of her friends and family and loved ones. _Just like how my beloved had done for me. _And pushed the painful thought in back of his mind. Now was not the time.

Achilles remained silent as she continued on, "Nobody would know. No one will wonder. No will think something was wrong-" She stopped abruptly and Achilles had to wonder what she had suddenly thought.

"Patroclus!" Briseis suddenly jolted from the bed and was on her feet. "Oh Patroclus…"

The warrior's eyes filled with pain once again, one he couldn't hide. But thank the gods Briseis didn't notice.

"He will wonder!" She continued ecstatically. "He will know something fishy was up. He wouldn't believe the fabricated lies. And he wouldn't rest till he gets to the bottom of it. I know. I'm his cousin."

He froze. Oh how Fate really loved to play him. Maybe he committed too many atrocities and so maybe he deserved this. Why must this always happen? The future seemed interesting for Achilles. For everyone who he knew dead was all present and alive there. Except roles have been reversed immensely. What's next? Hector as her father? He sighed inwardly.

Briseis seemed to notice the expression on her companion's face for she gave a concerned look at his direction.

"Is something wrong?" She asked softly.

Achilles seemed to snap out of his trance. He shook his head. "No. Nothing." But with the look that she gave him, he felt the urge to tell her. "My cousin who passed away almost a year ago has the same name as your cousin."

Briseis felt her heart go to the man before her and wanted so badly to comfort him. War always brought the worst in everything.

"I'm sorry." She walked up to him, so close Achilles fought hard with his inner demons inside. "I just remembered that Patroclus, my cousin, was named after yours." She reached up to touch his cheek and caress his hair, Achilles fought the urge to back away. "He even looks like you too."

And everything came back to Achilles. All the memories, all the words, all the events. Everything seemed to play in his mind for one minute. The woman who stood in front of him now, even had the same scent of his angel, the same voice. Everything. It was like she never died.

And he couldn't help himself anymore.

He kissed her.

He kissed her with all the love and passion and sorrow and joy he had in him.

What surprised him though, was that she wrapped her arms around him and kissed him back with the same passion and fire he had.

They broke away, staring at each other, panting. Blue orbs meeting brown chocolate ones. The fire still not ebbing away. It was different now, there was no war. Yet it seemed all the more complicated. This was not the same Briseis he knew and loved and still loved. She was from the future and he from the past. It was not possible.

Meanwhile, Briseis didn't know what had gotten over her. Something went in her that she didn't understand. It was like two people were living inside her now. Whose soul possessed her now to make her feel the urge to kiss him, hold him and never let him go? Was it an old lover who passed away as well? Who was it inside of her making her heart beat rapidly at the closeness of him, her body tingle with unexplained delight and joy?

Two souls were in her now. One that was hers and one that was another. Two souls becoming one in her and she didn't understand.

And because she didn't understand, she chose to ignore it. To pretend that it was just figment of her imagination. In time she would believe it. She and the warrior can never be.

She finally broke away from his intense gaze. "I'm sorry."

Achilles was in turmoil now. How could Briseis be here yet not be here? The woman had his beloved's face and voice and compassion and name yet it was still not _really _Briseis. The Briseis he still loved so deeply and so fiercely. He just missed her so much and that's why he ended up kissing this stranger now.

He felt as if he had betrayed his angel and torrent guilt washed over him, once again making his heart ache.

Will his heart ever start aching? He wondered.

He bolted out of the cabin. He needed some time alone. By now the rain had stopped and the full moon shone high above him.

Achilles looked up, tears in his eyes once again.

_Forgive me, my love. _

He could've sworn the moon smiled down at him in response. It was like a symbol that his love from above has forgiven him before he could even utter his apologies.

_That's impossible._

Anything is possible these days though.


	11. Chapter 11: The Same Face

**A/N: **thank you for your lovely reviews! I hope I can make this story a lot better though.

READ and REVIEW.

Thanks so much!

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Chapter 10

The little cabin Achilles had made for himself was situated almost in the middle of the forest, where its hidden lake lay near the cabin and where the moon shone brightly just a little above the herculean trees that stood around the great warrior. He gazed upon the still lake, letting himself take the calm and peace it gave. Its waters glistened in the night, giving the impression that maybe lost jewels and sparkling diamonds lay underneath that calm surface.

Tonight, his mind would not rest. So much has happened in such a short and unexpected day. A descendant of his beloved has managed to worm her way to him. Though it was an accident of course. This same descendant also came from the future, had the same face of that of her origin, who was currently sitting in his bed of furs in the warmth of his cabin, who he had just kissed mere moments ago.

Achilles closed his eyes in weariness. This was a lot to take in after all. He scolded himself for his actions earlier. But how could he resist? He missed his beloved so much, even if it was just a mirage or a descendant of the future, anything that reminded him of her, it was enough to make his heart melt to the point of no return.

Men in love never usually know what they are doing. Their actions always rash and unreasonable at times. Love can bring a man to insanity.

And Achilles had been going insane since the first time he laid eyes on his priestess.

Another distinct and cherished memory rushed into his thoughts as he continued looking across the lake. His eyes almost filled with tears as he remembered it.

_He had killed Hector earlier during the day and dragged him all over the beach where the Greek camp resided. Each Greek soldier had stopped whatever it was they were doing to gaze upon the sight of their mighty leader, Achilles dragging the dead corpse of Prince Hector of Troy. They feared and pitied him all the more now. This final act of no mercy showed how much power Achilles really had, what he capable of doing, how much rage and pain he had inside of him. It seemed more conspicuous as Hector's body was being dragged all over the place._

_But the great warrior was oblivious the soldiers' thoughts. All he felt was the triumph of killing the fool of a prince. He deserved it. In Achilles' thoughts, 'A life for a life' kept drumming in his brains till it reached the very core of his soul. Yes, the Prince of Troy deserved the death and so much more. He deserved it…_

_But when he opened the flaps to his tent, all earlier thoughts and emotions that were pulsing in him vanished as swiftly before he could even process it. The sight he saw before him broke his heart and his soul completely._

_There, at the very end of his tent, the figure of his beloved priestess huddled, looking smaller than ever, knees up till the endpoint of her chin and tears endlessly falling down her most beautiful eyes. _

_When he entered, the sight of him made her whimper and cry and wail all the same. She understood. If Achilles was here, Hector was gone. She covered her ears with her hands, trembling and on the brink of insanity. How could she love this man who showed no mercy? _

_For the life of her, she mourned two souls who were most precious to her. His cousin. Her cousin. She didn't stop crying till she had no tears left to cry. _

_Achilles sat by the side, not daring to look at her. He just sat there and listened to his beloved's wailings. Each scream tearing his soul and scarring his heart. _

_He just wanted to die as well._

_Priam had come that evening to confront him. Brave of him to ask to return his son to him. Priam's words had cut him like a knife and he had to wonder if the entire royal family had this strange ability of words that could cut people like the knife. He gave in of course. If Briseis could do it, so could Priam. They are of blood. _

_He had finally cried for Hector earlier. The guilt, the pain, the regret washing over him like a tide. He knew he was going to die soon. He never knew that time that someone would beat him to it. _

"_Your son was the best I fought." Achilles said solemnly and sincerely, walking to the brave king that stood before him. He showed Priam the proper respect he would never dare show to Agamemnon. _

"_In my country, the funeral games last for 12 days." _

"_It is the same in my country." The King of Troy replied._

"_Then the prince will have that honour." Achilles declared. It obviously surprised the old King. He didn't expect this. "No Greek will attack Troy for 12 days." _

_And old Priam eyes welled with tears at the small kindness his son's murderer had just bestowed upon him. Perhaps he did have a heart and did feel remorse. Forgiving him seemed a lot more possible now. He would be eternally grateful for this small act of kindness, for this small grant of peace. _

_Priam didn't say anything, though his eyes told the warrior a thousand words. _

_A figure emerged from the shadows suddenly and Priam had to squint his eyes to see clearly. When he realized who it was, he was beyond words._

"_Briseis?" He whispered, not quite believing it. _

_She ran to him and hugged him, silently saying how she missed her Uncle terribly. _

"_We thought you were dead." Priam said tearfully as he hugged her. _

_They broke apart and both eyes turned to the golden haired man that watched them as they reunited. The way Achilles' eyes were fixed on his niece did not go unnoticed by Priam. _

"_You're free." _

_The simple statement sent Briseis reeling. She turned to her Uncle, silently pleading for a time alone with the warrior. Priam complied of course, walking to the carriage provided for him, he stood there and watched his niece and his son's murderer, his thoughts whirling in circles._

_Briseis walked to him, her eyes asking him if what he was saying was true. If he was really letting her go. Her eyes asked a million questions and Achilles saw them all and so desperately wanted to answer them. His heart was breaking. But he had to let her go. She needed to be with her family now. She needed to mourn properly. She needed to be safe within the walls of Troy. _

"_If I hurt you," He started, walking closer to her. "It's not what I wanted." _

_It was his way of saying he was sorry for everything he had done to her. He said with his heart signing the deal it was hard not to believe. Briseis knew what he said was the truth. And she had to forgive him for what he did. They would all lose someone dear one way or another. _

_Achilles took her small hand, trying very hard not to tremble. Just touching her was painful enough. He slowly dropped in her hand the pearl necklace that once belonged to his cousin. It was his final gift to her. A way of saying goodbye. Something to remember him by. And Briseis' heart tore into two when he handed her the one last thing that reminded him of the cousin he lost. She did not deserve this._

_But as he tightly shut her hand, enclosing the necklace, he was telling her she did deserve it. _

_It took him every inch of strength to take his eyes away from her. Would he ever see her again? But he had to remain strong. This was for her own good._

"_Go." He commanded softly. He turned to King Priam. "No one will stop you. You have my word." _

"_Come my girl." Priam said to his niece, offering his hand to her. Achilles slowly let go of her hand, gently pushing her to her Uncle. She gave him a final glance, before she turned away to take hold of her Uncle's outstretched hand. _

_Then she stopped. _

"_Come now." Priam coaxed her gently. _

_Briseis closed her eyes. "No." The one word seemed to hang in the air. Achilles' heart was beating rapidly at her one-word statement. _

_She let go of her Uncle's hand and turned to her beautiful, golden-haired, blue eyed beloved. He was so beautiful even in the night. Deep inside, he was a good man. That she knew. She slowly walked towards him and strong arms were around her in an instant. She cried in his shoulder and he tried his best to comfort her. _

"_I will not go." She declared bravely to him as they broke apart._

_Achilles almost smiled. "You must."_

_She shook her head in denial, defying him gently. And soon her lips were on his, desperate and pleading. But even so, she knew within her, he would still let her go. He was a good man after all. He was giving her up for her own happiness._

_The entire Myrmidon army stood around them, their own hearts breaking at the sight before them. Their leader had never shown such love for someone. Especially to an enemy. But now he finally experienced as they all have and now he was about to sacrifice her for her own good. He had already lost his cousin, now he was losing his beloved. It tore them apart as well._

"_Please…you must go." Achilles pleaded again. She had come back to him but he was still letting her go. "It's what you have wanted."_

"_No." She shook her head. "I don't want to leave you. I can't. Not like this…" Tears were now falling on her face again. _

_Achilles wiped the tears away with his thumbs, fighting the urge to cry himself. _

"_Ssh. It's alright. It's alright…" How was it alright? He didn't know. "I need you to be safe. And you must be with your family." _

_He leaned his forehead on hers. "Promise me you will be safe. You must understand." _

_More tears flowed down her eyes and she said nothing. "Please promise me." _

_At last, finally realizing she couldn't do anything anymore, simply nodded, too weak for words. _

"_Now go." Achilles released her and gently walked her to her Uncle, waiting patiently for her. "We will meet again soon. I promise. You know I never break my promises." _

_Briseis simply nodded, taking his words to her heart, trusting and believing him completely. _

"_I love you." She openly proclaimed to him. He froze, his eyes searching hers. It was the first time she had said such a thing so openly, so genuinely, so lovingly. The three words finally cracked him up and the tears now flowed down his cheeks as well, uncontrollable. His heart soared to the heavens at that moment. He was beyond words. He never knew how to say it back. He couldn't say it back because he didn't know how. And she understood._

_He reached up and kissed her this time, not caring if the King of Troy stood right in front of them. He needed to tell her in that kiss that he loved her too, more than his own life and he would gladly die for her. He needed to apologize for all the hurt he had put her through. He needed to tell her she will never be forgotten as long as he lived. _

_Finally they broke apart. Their souls crying to the gods for some small mercy. _

"_Go." He whispered hoarsely. His voice betraying his emotions. He turned to Priam, who was gazing upon him with all the sadness of the world, forgiveness in his eyes. "You are a far better king than the one leading this army." He then turned to Briseis. "And you shall never be forgotten. I will always be with you." _

_Then they rode off in the night. Briseis glanced back as they drifted further away from the Greek camp. She would never forget him either. She could never. _

_They rode off into the night and Achilles looked on even when they were gone. _

_His heart had never broke so much. _

_He never even got the chance to respond to her proclamation of love verbally._

Achilles drifted from the memory, another set of tears flowing. He never got the chance to say he loved her back. It was unfair. How fate loathed him so. The wind blew against him softly, calming his soul. He always knew it was Briseis at work whenever he'd feel such calm seeping into him.

"I love you too." He whispered to the wind. How he wished he could've said it when she was alive.

"I'm sorry." He didn't feel the presence till it spoke. He felt her approach him. "You must've lost someone dear, I'm sorry."

Achilles turned to the Briseis that stood before him now. Genuine concern radiated off her. Seeing the face of hers made the tears run down even more. How could he go on with this? She had asked help from him earlier but how could he help her? When he couldn't even help himself?

"You must've really loved her."

Achilles nodded. "With all my heart. She died saving my life. She wasn't suppose to do that. I was fated to die. But she stopped it."

He didn't know why he was unloading himself completely to a stranger that had his beloved's face but he couldn't help himself. He was just grateful that she came to listen and not say anything else.

"She was always so very brave." Achilles thought back to his priestess fondly. "So good and so kind. Full of hope and love. She was perfect. She was everything I was not."

A long moment of silence hung between them.

"She also had your face."

Briseis Bolton looked up, realization dawning into her. And guilt swiftly took her, knowing she was the cause of the great warrior's anguish.

"Her name was Briseis."

And then she remembered. From the books that she read, what they had discussed in class. The woman that Achilles fought over with King Agamemnon. The woman this man before her loved so deeply. The woman who she was named after. The great Princess of Troy…Briseis.

She couldn't say anything, shocked and guilty beyond words. She didn't know.

So for a long while, they didn't say anything more, just stood side by side gazing at the calm and beautiful lake illuminating through the night.

It would've gone well if a big invisible thud hadn't hit her so suddenly. She collapsed to the ground, pain engulfing her body once again, her mind fighting with the dark for light. She didn't notice the lake anymore. She didn't notice Achilles dropping to his knees, at her side in an instant. She didn't notice anything anymore.

All she felt was pain and darkness.

And then she saw him.

She saw her brother, Troy.

He was in pain too.

It was their connection.

"Troy…"

It was the last thing she uttered before she blacked out completely.

---------------------------------------------------

Troy Bolton woke up to series of body pains and headaches. Stars filled his vision as soon as he opened his eyes and he thought he might black out again.

He vaguely remembered that he was roughly attacked by that all-black clad figure with red eyes…

After a few more agonizing moments, he was able to get a grip upon himself and despite his major body pains and headache, at least he able to get good look at his surroundings.

He groaned.

_Where the heck am I now?_

He was definitely not back in Albuquerque or East High, he thought grumpily. Yet, neither was he in that market place he was walking in earlier.

Instead he lay on a bed of furs and in some sort of small hut. Most of the room was occupied by ingredients Troy didn't even want to begin to understand, a couple of weapons here and there but mostly it looked like a really messed up storage room of supplies. To place a bed amidst all that, he didn't quite get.

Just a few feet before the bed was a door which Troy noticed was slowly creaking. Someone was coming in.

Troy didn't know why his heart was beating quite rapidly that moment.

The now opened wooden door revealed an old hunchbacked woman, who wore grey rags and held the crane in one hand, and had strange silver white hair covering most of her face. She was holding some sort of bowl in her other hand and Troy would've tried to help the old lady if her croaked and hoarse voice didn't stop him.

"No, my child. Sit. And rest."

Troy gulped and remained where he was.

The woman reminded him of some old dark witch from the past who had great power and could cast spells and hexes and curses whenever she wanted to.

Gazing once again around his surroundings and remembering that he was, in fact, in the timeline were witches like that actually existed; he resisted the urge to shiver visibly.

"You are cold." The old lady stated in the silence.

She slowly took a dark, thick wool and placed it on Troy's shoulders. Somehow, he shivered all the more by being in close proximity with her presence.

"Do not fear me child." She tried to say gently, but couldn't since her voice was too hoarse with age. "I am only here to help you."

"Ok…" Troy drawled, cautious but wanting to satisfy his gnawing curiosity all the same. "You can start by telling me where I am and what I am doing here." He paused. "Please…" Troy was always the respectable kind of guy.

But she didn't answer the questions. She only placed him further into confusion and now…_fear. _He fought his urge of nausea when she gravely said,

"You are in danger."


End file.
